La beaches choked by waste… Assembly intensifies clean-up efforts
The scenic beaches of the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality are increasingly coming under threat from pollution caused by waste discharged into the sea from inland water bodies. The beaches, popular with both local and international tourists, are frequently littered with plastic waste and other debris, making access difficult and diminishing their appeal. Most of the waste … The post La beaches choked by waste… Assembly intensifies clean-up efforts appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
Black News 
The scenic beaches of the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality are increasingly coming under threat from pollution caused by waste discharged into the sea from inland water bodies.
The beaches, popular with both local and international tourists, are frequently littered with plastic waste and other debris, making access difficult and diminishing their appeal.
Most of the waste is generated inland and dumped indiscriminately into drains, run-offs and streams.
These eventually carry the refuse into the sea, which is later washed back onto the beaches, creating an environmental and sanitation nuisance.
The situation has become a major concern for the municipal assembly, prompting the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alfredos Nii Anyetei, to call on residents to desist from indiscriminate waste disposal.
He stressed the need for a change in attitudes towards sanitation and waste management to help keep the beaches and the environment clean.
Mr Anyetei made the call during this month’s National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise, held under the theme: ‘Operation Clean Your Beach.’
The exercise, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was organised by the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and ECOWAS, with support from volunteer groups, the National Cadet Corps and youth organisations.
Participants were divided into three groups to clean sections of the coastline, stretching from the Kpeshie Lagoon Estuary near the Polo Beach Club to the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel and parts of the Labadi Beach enclave.
The clean-up involved the segregation of waste materials, with plastics, bottles, wooden debris and other refuse sorted separately for proper disposal and recycling.
Mr Anyetei noted that poor sanitation practices and indiscriminate waste disposal remained major challenges affecting beaches within the municipality.
He explained that the municipality hosts some of the country’s most popular beachfronts, including Laboma Beach, Polo Beach Club, Labadi Beach and the La Palm Royal Beach area, as well as several fishing landing sites.
According to him, these beaches serve as important recreational centres for residents and tourists, particularly during weekends and holidays, but are increasingly threatened by waste carried into the sea through drains and streams.
He explained that La is situated at the lower part of Accra, where water from higher areas such as Aburi, Oyarifa and Adenta flows through drains and streams before collecting at estuaries and beachfronts.
Mr Anyetei acknowledged the support of ECOWAS and other organisations for providing logistics and equipment for the exercise.
The Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, also expressed concern about the large quantities of plastic waste along the shoreline.
She emphasised the need for intensified public education on proper waste segregation and recycling, noting that although significant amounts of waste had been cleared, more needed to be done.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, Mohammed Lawan Gana, said beaches were not only places of recreation and beauty but also important sources of livelihood for fishermen, tourism operators, traders and coastal communities.
He, however, warned that persistent plastic pollution continued to threaten these fragile ecosystems.
Mr Gana therefore called on governments, organisations and policymakers to invest in sustainable waste management systems and strengthen the enforcement of sanitation laws to promote environmental protection and economic development.
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
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The post La beaches choked by waste… Assembly intensifies clean-up efforts appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
