Regional News of Friday, 19 September 2014

Source: Graphic Online

Sanitation has become a major problem in Ghana in recent times. Many reasons have been assigned for the insanitary conditions that have engulfed virtually every community in the country. Our general reliance on polythene bags for packaging of food and all kinds of merchandise has compounded the problems because materials used for the production of these bags are not bio-degradable.

Despite the campaign launched by the NshoreNa Project this year to clean the beaches the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies appear not to be up to the task although they have laws that spell out sanctions against deviants.

By law, all landlords are required to provide places of convenience in their houses but they do not, resulting in extreme pressure on public facilities. Residents who cannot stand the long queues at these public places of convenience defecate in open places and along the beaches.

The situation has become so grave that a phenomenon has emerged among city dwellers who do not have access to places of convenience to defecate in polythene bags which they sarcastically call take away which they throw about.

Residents along the beaches in Ghana have given various reasons why they defecate along the beaches. While some say they enjoy the breeze, others say they do not have any place to attend to the call of nature.

Another group of residents along the beach particularly in the Central Region have assigned superstitious reasons. Whatever the case may be, environmental practitioners and health professionals have attributed the present cholera epidemic to open defecation particularly along the beaches. This negative practice is also affecting tourism in the country as the stench from the faeces has affected the serenity along the beaches.

The garbage that are thrown into open drains that are washed into the sea and the open defecation have reduced the patronage of recreational activities on the beaches from Half Assini to Aflao. Those who continue to enjoy the fun are not spared the stench from faeces and garbage washed into the sea.

Excerpt from:

Anomabo residents defecate along beaches to pacify gods