Residents of Aboabo, Akwatialine, Asawase and other surrounding communities in the Asokore-Mampong Municipality have appealed to authorities to urgently regulate the activities of scrap dealers operating in the area.
According to the residents, the indiscriminate burning of used lorry tyres, cables and metal waste by scrap dealers releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, making it difficult for people, particularly children and the elderly, to breathe.
They say the situation is exerting significant pressure on the health and well-being of residents, with prolonged exposure to the pollutants linked to serious respiratory complications.
Some residents, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency during a visit to the affected communities, called on the municipal assembly and central government to take immediate steps to halt the open burning of waste materials before the situation escalates into a major public health crisis.
A longtime resident of Aboabo, Mallam Zakari, expressed concern over what he described as the gradual deterioration in the health of many residents due to the constant inhalation of smoke from the burning activities.
He added that attempts by community members to stop the scrap dealers often end in heated confrontations, sometimes escalating into physical clashes.
Another resident, Hajia Meimunatu, said residents have on several occasions engaged the local assembly for support in addressing the issue, but all such efforts have yielded no results.
She alleged that the inaction by authorities may be due to the apparent acceptance of the scrap dealers, a situation she said continues to worsen pollution levels in the community.
Hajia Meimunatu described the pollution as having reached alarming levels and called for decisive action from the relevant authorities to protect public health.
Meanwhile, hospitals within the area are reporting an increase in cases of respiratory illnesses, chest pains and eye irritation, which health workers attribute to prolonged exposure to smoke from the burning of waste materials.
Source: GNA
