Parts of Accra experienced the detrimental effects of indiscriminate littering and wrongful disposal of plastic waste after the fifteen-minute rainfall earlier today, Friday June 4.

Following the brief but heavy downpour, tonnes of garbage was seen floating in the open storm drain around Nima, a suburb of Accra, flowing through drains around Asylum Down, the Kwame Nkrumah interchange, and finally into the Odaw River, thus marring the beauty of these areas.

Myjoyonline.com’s Photojournalist, David Andoh captured the demoralizing scenes and mini-flood on the Graphic road due to choked gutters.

State of sanitation in the country

The poor state of sanitation in the country, particularly, the capital continues to persist despite efforts by government and some Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) to address the challenge.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on April 24, 2017, declared his intention to make Accra the cleanest city on the continent, by the end of his first term in office, however, the unfortunate act persists.

And the nation pays dearly for it. Sanitation Minister in 2019 revealed that the country expends $290 million, which constitutes 1.6 per cent of Ghana’s GDP, on sanitation annually. But still.

However, this is not the first time the aforementioned drain has made headlines for “throwing up” waste, largely plastics following a heavy rainfall.

In February 2020, a similar incident occurred which shocked residents of Asylum Down.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Meteorological Agency has cautioned persons living in and around areas such as Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Weija and the Graphic Road, to prepare to experience flash floods as the rains begin to pour down.

The Agency based its prediction on man-made factors including choked drains and buildings blocking waterways around those vicinities.

Meanwhile, in less than three months of being appointed as Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, has launched a campaign dubbed: ‘Let’s make Accra work’.

This is a non-partisan agenda focused on ensuring the socio-economic development of the region.

Among other initiatives, the Regional Minister seeks to decongest the capital and make it clean, improve the drainage system, thus, change the perennial floods that torments residents of Accra.