Audio By Carbonatix
Environmentalists are warning squatters at Agbogbloshie slum face major health risks hanging around the electronic dumpsite.
There are nearly 80,000 squatters dealing mainly in scrap metals for a living.
In order the get copper, the dealers burn cables from discarded computers and electronic gadgets. The huge smoke is inhaled which according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exposes them to a lot of health hazards.
An environmentalist Mike Anane explains "we are talking about a cocktail of heavy metal, lead, cadmium, mercury...lot of the people here are ignorant about what they are taking into their body...it is very dangerous" he said.
He has been campaigning that government takes immediate action to check the indiscriminate dumping of discarded electrical appliances from foreign countries at the site.
In a 2011 report, "Ghana E-Waste Country Assessment" found that of 215,000 tons of electronics imported to Ghana, 30% were brand new and 70% were used.
Of the used imported product the study further established that 15% was not reused and was scrapped or discarded.
The EPA is also collaborating with the Swedish Embassy to train scores of young men working at the electronic dump site to find a hygienic way of extracting cables from used electronic gadgets instead of burning them.
Latest Stories
-
GRA admits trader outreach on Publican AI may not have reached grassroots
7 minutes -
British widow dies in Ghana road crash after ÂŁ1m romance scam losses
15 minutes -
The Presidency backs NLA-KGL Contract – NLA Boss
24 minutes -
NHIA board pays courtesy call on Asantehene, launches free NHIS registration drive for “King’s Month”
28 minutes -
Invoice fraud pushed rollout of Publican AI system – GRA official
28 minutes -
Who’s afraid of Interstitial Spaces? – A provocation
35 minutes -
Honouring Dominic Frimpong: Premier League Match Day 30 fixtures postponed
38 minutes -
Parliament’s Energy Committee commends NPA’s openness
42 minutes -
NEDCo seizes more than 300 meters over illegal connections
48 minutes -
Protecting Ghana’s cocoa reputation in the age of misinformation
56 minutes -
Ghana reaffirms commitment to regional gas cooperation at WAGP ministerial meeting in Abuja
57 minutes -
Tamale High Court to rule today in NDA corruption trial involving former officials
1 hour -
Teshie Nungua to face planned power interruptions as ECG upgrades transformers from April 28–30
1 hour -
NDC defends arrests, rejects claims of free speech crackdown
1 hour -
NPP calls on CSOs, global community to safeguard Ghana’s democracy
1 hour