President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the full-capacity haulage of waste from Agbogloshie in Accra to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Sites near Nsawam in the Eastern Region will take place at night.
The President said the arrangement forms part of measures to ensure that the evacuation of the estimated one million tonnes of waste is carried out responsibly while protecting residents, road users and communities along the haulage routes.
Speaking at the commissioning of the waste evacuation exercise, President Mahama said the operation would be conducted on a smaller scale during the day, with full-capacity evacuation taking place at night in line with the government’s 24-Hour Economy Initiative.
“We must protect the waste, the residents, road users, and the communities along the haulage routes. And that is why we are suggesting that the major haulage must take place at night in accordance with our 24-Hour Economy Initiative,” he said.
“In the daytime, there will be some evacuation of garbage, but on a smaller scale, and then at night we go to full capacity.”
READ: Soldiers are not only going to war, they’ll handle emergency operations – Mahama
The waste is expected to be transported from Agbogloshie to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Sites, where it will undergo controlled disposal, compaction and covering with appropriate environmental safeguards.
President Mahama stressed that the entire process, from evacuation and excavation to loading, transportation and final disposal, must be managed responsibly.
The exercise is being undertaken by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP), with funding support from the Ministry of Finance and the District Assemblies Common Fund.
The operation is expected to be completed within 90 days.
According to a drone-based AI estimate and assessment, the volume of garbage to be moved from Agbogloshie is approximately one million tonnes.
President Mahama said the exercise forms part of the government’s determination to restore order, improve sanitation and reclaim the area for the people who live and work there.
He said the evacuation would also contribute to efforts to end the open dumping and burning of waste in the area, which he said had endangered lives and damaged the surrounding environment.
The President appealed to residents of Old Fadama and Agbogloshie to cooperate with military personnel, DRIP operators and assembly teams as the operation continues.
