A/R: Residents of Buoho-Petrensa cry for help as community becomes dumping ground
Residents of Buoho-Petrensa in the Afigya Kwabre South District of the Ashanti Region are living under severe health threats as part of the community has been turned into an unregulated refuse dumping site.
The situation has raised fears of an imminent outbreak of contagious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, malaria, and respiratory infections.
The five-acre refuse heap, which has been in use by surrounding communities, has polluted the environment and contaminated nearby water bodies.
Streams and rivers that once served as sources for domestic use have turned black and emit foul odours, making life unbearable for residents.
According to residents, the area has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies, and other harmful insects.
A nearby private school has reportedly shut down due to low enrolment, as parents are reluctant to send their children to a location exposed to potential health hazards.
Speaking to Otec News, the Committee Chairman for Buoho-Petrensa, Mr. John Tetteh, expressed deep disappointment in the District Chief Executive, Hon. Pearl Ankrah, for ignoring numerous appeals for intervention.
“We have written several times to the assembly, but nothing has been done. Our only hope now is a miracle to make this mountain of refuse disappears,” he lamented, while speaking to Agya Sam.
Committee Secretary, Amah Baffour Enoch, added that residents are fed up with the neglect and have resolved to take matters into their own hands.
“We will no longer sit idle. We won’t allow any more refuse trucks or individuals to dump waste here again. Enough is enough,” he declared.
Some residents, visibly frustrated, shared heartbreaking accounts of the health toll the situation has taken on their families.
“We can no longer breathe. Our homes are infested with flies. The water we used to rely on is now poison. We are always at the hospital,” one resident said.
The community called on the Afigya Kwabre South District Assembly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Ministry of Sanitation to urgently intervene and evacuate the refuse before it develops into a full-blown public health crisis.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah
