A nationwide two-day general clean-up exercise begins today across seven flood-affected regions as part of government efforts to improve environmental sanitation, clear choked drains and reduce the risk of future flooding after the devastating June 29 floods.
The exercise, being coordinated by the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee, will be conducted in two phases. Personnel from the security services, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and waste management companies are leading Friday’s activities, while members of the public are expected to join the exercise on Saturday.
The National General Cleaning Days were declared in response to the June 29 floods, which claimed at least 13 lives, displaced thousands of residents, destroyed homes and businesses, damaged public infrastructure, and exposed persistent challenges in drainage, waste management and environmental sanitation, particularly in the Greater Accra Region.
President John Dramani Mahama has directed all government appointees, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, and heads of public institutions, to leave their offices and lead clean-up activities in their respective communities.
The exercise, being held under the theme, “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the floods,” seeks to mobilise citizens to clean their communities, protect the environment and help prevent future flooding.
Activities will focus on desilting choked drains to improve the flow of stormwater, clearing sand, weeds and debris from roads and highways, and cleaning markets, lorry parks, recreational areas and communal waste collection points.
To facilitate the exercise, all MMDAs have been directed to collaborate with waste management companies to provide logistics, including refuse trucks, gloves, shovels and other cleaning equipment. They have also been instructed to ensure the prompt evacuation of collected refuse and silt to prevent waste from being washed back into drains.
Speaking on Thursday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Shamima Muslim said the clean-up exercise formed part of broader government measures to strengthen the country’s resilience against future disasters.
She said markets, shops and stalls were expected to suspend operations during the exercise to enable sanitation activities to be carried out effectively.
“Tomorrow is not a holiday. We are all coming to work tomorrow and we are all going to engage in the cleanup activity exercises at our workplace,” she said.
Ms Muslim explained that market activities, particularly in flood-affected areas, would be suspended from 0600 hours to 1200 hours, after which businesses could resume operations depending on directives from the relevant local authorities.
The exercise is being undertaken in the Greater Accra, Volta, Central, Western, Western North, Ashanti and Eastern regions.
Government has urged residents, businesses and institutions to participate actively, stressing that improved sanitation and responsible waste disposal remain critical to reducing flood risks and safeguarding lives and property.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
