The government is deploying drones and artificial intelligence to determine the volume of waste accumulated at Agbogbloshie as it prepares for a major operation to clear the decades-old heap from the heart of Accra.

The exercise is expected to involve hundreds of trucks, heavy-duty equipment and personnel drawn from several institutions.

Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Mahama Ayariga said the waste mountain had reached such an alarming scale that its removal had become a national priority.

He disclosed that he had visited the site three times within his first week in office and, during his latest visit, climbed to the top of the heap, which he estimated to be about the height of a 10-storey building.

According to Mr Ayariga, President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministries of Local Government, Finance, Roads and Highways, and Defence to jointly develop a comprehensive plan for the evacuation.

The government is mobilising the Ghana Armed Forces, Jospong Group, private contractors and dump trucks from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, while technical teams use drones and AI to map the site and determine the logistical requirements.

The Minister said the waste would be transported to an engineered landfill site off the Nsawam Road, with authorities considering a 24-hour operation subject to final arrangements and presidential approval.

He acknowledged that the movement of large numbers of trucks could temporarily disrupt traffic, but urged Ghanaians to accept the inconvenience, stressing: “Let all of us be inconvenienced by the problem, and if we are all sufficiently inconvenienced by the problem, the danger of reverting to the problem will be minimised.”