Tema, July, 21, GNA – The sewerage system at the Tema Community one central market has blasted with human excreta gushing through the market with associated pungent odour engulfing the market.
Traders have therefore sent a distress call to the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to resolve the sewerage system as it could degenerate into health problems in view of the rains.
“We must resolve it immediately to avoid an outbreak of cholera, and other health problems, we are therefore appealing to the TMA, the Metro Health Authority and others involved in fixing the problem to get to work,” Mr. Kofi Andoh, a trader at the Community one central market told the Ghana News Agency at Tema.
The sewerage system was constructed over 60 years ago and has now become a major challenge to the market traders as the frequent sewer bursts and the flow of effluent from manholes had troubled the people.
Mr Andoh said, over 30 stores were affected by the outburst and called on the authorities to embark on a short-term maintenance to help address the challenge.
Madam Elizabeth Quansah also claimed that, sometimes, the Assembly tasked them to contribute not less than GHS10.00 from each store owner at the affected areas to help tackle the challenge and so far, nothing had been done about it.
Meanwhile Mr Frank Asante, Tema Metropolitan Assembly Public Relations Officer, in an interview with the GNA appealed to residents to instill good waste management practices in their homes to avert the intermittent spillage of sewer system.
For some time now, there had been intermittent sewer spillages at the Community one market.
Mr Asante said the sewage was something the Assembly was struggling with and needed the cooperation of residents to effectively manage it.
According to him, the issue of sewer spillage was as a result of the wrong management practices within the metropolis and the increased in population, which has put pressure on it usage.
He called on residents to only flush soluble materials to enhance the free flow of the waste in the pipelines to help manage the constant sewer problems.
He added that, the Rodding Team was working swiftly to fix spillage challenges currently at the market and had also called on the Ghana National Fire Service to help blow away all fecal matters to avoid pollution.