The inability of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to rollout measures to address the growing sanitation challenges in the Central Business District of the Metropolis has seen Kumasi becoming filthy and accompanied by a foul stench.
This paper can state on authority that the sanitation situation in the Central Business District, which has been taken over by hawkers, is precarious and needs a holistic approach to curb what is becoming a health emergency.
In the last one month, The Chronicle has observed mountains of garbage at various locations of the Central Business District, including the median of roads. Among the areas of concern are Roman Hill, and a dual carriageway in front of the under-construction central market, which project has largely stalled.
Making this situation horrible is the sale of food stuffs and running of transport stations adjacent to these mounds of garbage. Per observation by The Chronicle, the Central Business District of Kumasi and filth are becoming inseparable.
This sanitation challenge has been in existence even before Sam Payne took over as the Mayor of Kumasi. The inability of the KMA to decongest the Central Business District without a human face has seen garbage, largely created by market women and transport stations, swallowing the once upon a time Garden City of West Africa.
The Central Business District of Kumasi has been turned into a cradle of filth and indiscipline, with people cooking on roads.
Speaking to a resident of Kumasi, who gave his name as Kwadwo Boadi, he expressed worry at the sanitation in the Central Business District.
Reached on phone, the Public Relations Officer of the KMA, Ms Henrietta Afia Kondu, told this paper that the Assembly collected the garbage during the day and at dawn.
Afia Konadu attributed the challenge to the attitude of the public.
Asked about the existence of the monthly clean up exercise, whereby the Central Business District was cleaned, she responded that the KMA had not abandon that programme, however, owing to financial constraints it had put the exercise on hold.
