Heaps of refuse were cleared from Mallam Market on Friday morning as residents, traders, Assembly Members and waste management companies joined the government's nationwide clean-up exercise, exposing the scale of waste littering one of Accra's busiest commercial centres.

Participants spent hours removing mounds of refuse from trading areas, roadsides and choked drains in an effort to improve sanitation and reduce the risk of flooding after the devastating June 29 rains.

Several traders welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and urging authorities to make the exercise a monthly activity rather than a one-off intervention, saying regular clean-ups would help keep the market clean and minimise flooding.

MyJoyOnline's photojournalist Judy Yayra Avanu was on grounds, capturing scenes of the exercise and the massive heaps of waste cleared as residents, traders and sanitation workers worked together to restore cleanliness at the market.