Residents of Weija Gbawe Municipality, particularly Mendskrom, Mangoline and McCarthy Hill, have expressed concern about the health and economic impacts of the dumping site in the area.
They said the combination of decomposing waste, stagnant water and poor sanitation conditions had created favourable breeding grounds for mosquitoes, flies and rodents, leading to diseases within the area.
The residents, have therefore, called for an immediate assessment of the environmental impact of the dumping activities and the relocation of waste disposal operations from the Ramsar site.
These concerns arose amid increasing pressure on the refuse disposal site which is behind Mendskrom and Mangoline, where hundreds of refuse-laden tricycles and trucks now converge daily following disruptions at other landfill facilities within the Greater Accra Region
The residents say their concerns have been heightened by the fact that the area being used for waste disposal is part of a Ramsar-protected wetland, which they insist, was never intended to serve as a refuse dump.
According to them, dumping activities at the site began about a year and a half ago, and have intensified steadily, with increasing volumes of waste being brought into the enclave from different parts of the Greater Accra Region.
When the Daily Graphic visited the area, some residents said the foul odour became particularly intense after rainfall, when water passed through accumulated waste and carried the stench across sections of McCarthy Hill and adjoining communities.
Health Risks
The Chairman of the McCarthy Hill Residents Association, Eddie Quaynor, said the continued use of the wetland for waste disposal threatened its ecological function and could have far-reaching environmental and public health implications if not checked.
He said the Ramsar site served as a natural flood retention and drainage area through which water from surrounding communities and spillages from the Weija Dam flowed into the sea.
Mr Quaynor said the accumulation of refuse within the wetland was gradually obstructing natural water pathways and also disrupting the free flow of water through the area.
A queue of tricycles awaiting their turn in an alley towards the dumpsite
He further expressed concern that liquid waste generated from decomposing refuse could seep into the soil and underground water systems if the situation was allowed to persist.
“Runoff water from the dumpsite eventually becomes part of a broader water network within the municipality, and prolonged exposure to waste contamination could affect water quality, if we do not do something about it,” he said, adding that residents feared prolonged exposure to such conditions could affect the respiratory health of vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly and people with existing health conditions.
Economic impact
The residents also raised concern about the proximity of the disposal activities to the Pambros Salt Industry, and pointed out that waste disposal within the wetland environment, together with other forms of encroachment, could adversely affect the quality of the soil and the surrounding ecosystem upon which salt production depended.
They expressed concern that pollutants from the dumpsite could eventually affect the quality of salt produced within the area, with implications for both public health and the long-term viability of the industry.
Another resident, Gina, described the situation as a “ticking environmental and public health concern” that required urgent intervention from the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, environmental regulators and public health authorities.
Efforts to reach the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Weija Gbawe, Felix Odartey Lamptey, for his reaction proved futile.
