The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, says the government has deployed additional trucks and tricycles to support the ongoing post-flood clean-up exercise, assuring that the evacuation of refuse from affected communities will continue beyond the initial operation.
The government has intensified efforts to clear waste left behind after the June 29 floods, with more trucks and tricycles being deployed to affected communities.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews’ Fatawu Bayaga on Saturday, July 11, during the second day of the national general cleaning exercise ahead of President John Mahama’s visit to inspect the exercise, the Local Government Minister said the operation would continue until all accumulated refuse is cleared.
“We are not ending today. The President is coming, and we have ordered additional trucks because you can see that there are about 40 or 60 trucks that are coming to augment whatever we have here,” he said.
The campaign follows recent heavy rains that triggered flooding in several parts of the country, leaving behind clogged drains, accumulated refuse and debris, while disrupting livelihoods and damaging public infrastructure.
The minister explained that the volume of waste could increase as residents continue clearing their homes following the floods.
“If you follow this road today, you will see that there is plenty of refuse piled up. Today is the day people are cleaning their houses, so you will see more waste than what you are even seeing,” he added.
Mr Ibrahim disclosed that government has increased the number of tricycles deployed for waste collection from 400 to 600, while additional trucks are being mobilised to support the exercise.
“Within the next possible week, we will be able to finish the evacuation and continue with the sweeping,” he said.
On a vehicle trapped in a major drain at Alajo, the minister said efforts to remove it were ongoing.
“We were on it yesterday and we couldn’t finish, but that does not mean we have abandoned it. Once we finish the evacuation of the heaps you see here, we will go back to it,” he stated.
The minister also stressed that the clean-up exercise is part of broader measures to prevent future flooding, noting that waste left in communities can easily be washed back into drains during rainfall.
President John Mahama later arrived at Alajo to receive updates from officials supervising the exercise and is expected to address the broader sanitation and flood prevention measures being implemented by government.
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