The Yendi Municipal Assembly has stepped up efforts to reduce open defecation and improve sanitation in the municipality.

Open defecation in the municipality is wide spread because of lack of public toilets for residents to access.

Heap of garbage have also been left unattended to for several years in the few public toilets in the municipality close to the houses of many residents.

Children use the garbage dumping sites in the public toilets as playing ground regardless of the many health risks to their lives.

 Some resident told Joy News that unbearable stench emanating from the heap of garbage makes them sick.

Also because of poor drainage systems, their houses get flooded with the least rainfall.

To remedy the situation the Municipal Assembly has began clearing heaps of refuse in the communities which have been left unattended to for many years.

Also five new public toilets are under constructed to replace dilapidated ones in the areas of needs, to increase access.

Municipal Chief Executive of Yendi, Issah Zakaria, said the collection of the refuse and the construction of new public toilets are efforts by the assembly to end open defecation and improve sanitation in the area.

He said apart from clearing the refuse dumping site, residents are also going to be engaged in a communal clean up exercise in the municipality.