President of the Chamber of Local Governance, Richard Fiadomor, has called on the government to intervene and secure dedicated lands for waste management facilities in Accra, warning that the shortage of disposal sites is worsening sanitation challenges in the capital.

According to him, the rapid expansion of urban communities without proper planning has left Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) struggling to find suitable locations for landfills, transfer stations and other waste management infrastructure.

Speaking on JoyNews' The Pulse on Wednesday, July 9, noted that the shortage of disposal sites has also affected waste collection companies, especially small-scale operators who rely on tricycles, popularly known as “Aboboyaa,” and lack the capacity to transport waste over long distances.

“That is why the Aboboyaa do not have the capacity to go long distances, and that is why some of them are also misbehaving along the line. So central government needs to come in so that we can see how best we can get a land allocated for waste management,” he explained.

He urged the government, local authorities and traditional leaders to work together to develop a coordinated land-use plan that reserves adequate spaces for waste disposal and other public services.

He warned that without urgent intervention, the lack of suitable land for waste management could continue to undermine efforts to keep the capital clean and address recurring sanitation challenges.

Mr Fiadomor said the challenge is largely the result of years of uncoordinated development, where lands are sold and developed without adequate consideration for public infrastructure needs.

He explained that MMDAs are the legally mandated development and planning authorities and must be involved before lands are sold to ensure that spaces are reserved for essential services, including drainage systems and waste management facilities.

Mr Fiadomor said the failure to plan for such infrastructure has contributed to the current difficulties in managing waste, particularly in densely populated areas of Accra where available land is becoming increasingly limited.

He stressed that while traditional authorities and landowners have rights over their lands, there must be collaboration with assemblies before development takes place.

“The government, central government, must come in to ensure that the land is yours; you have the liberty to sell it, but before you sell the land to anybody or a group of people, you should get the MMDAs involved,” he said.

According to him, proper planning would allow assemblies to identify areas for future infrastructure development and prevent communities from being built in ways that make waste collection and disposal more difficult.