|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Christian Ahodie
On July 12, 2025 we reported the dire sanitation crisis at Ho-Dome, where a massive refuse dump had become a public health time bomb, choking residents and threatening livelihoods.
Just days after the story went public, the towering heap of waste was finally removed, a welcome relief for the community. But one week on, residents and sanitation workers say the cleanup effort has only scratched the surface of a deeper problem.
At the heart of their frustration is the single refuse container left behind to serve the entire community. Rusted and broken, it spills waste onto the ground whenever rubbish is dropped inside, creating fresh filth around the site. “The container is weak. When you pour rubbish in, most of it falls out onto the floor,” one resident complained, pointing to the growing litter around the area.
Even more alarming is the plight of the sanitation workers tasked with managing the dump. With no rakes, shovels, or gloves, they are forced to collect garbage with their bare hands, exposing themselves daily to hazardous waste.
“We don’t have tools. No gloves, no shovels, nothing. Every day we use our raw hands to gather refuse from the ground into the container,” said Lion, one of the workers. “It is dangerous to our health.”
His colleague Ebenezer echoed the concerns: “We are suffering here. The smell, the sickness, the risk — it is too much. We need help, not just for the community but for ourselves too.”
Residents are equally worried that one faulty container cannot meet the needs of Ho-Dome’s growing population. Many fear the situation will quickly deteriorate again if more refuse containers and proper sanitation measures are not urgently provided.
The community, together with the workers, is therefore calling on Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the Ho Municipal Assembly to: Provide additional refuse containers, Supply sanitation workers with protective gear and tools, and Ensure sustainable waste management in the area.
For now, the mountain of waste may be gone, but the people of Ho-Dome warn that without decisive follow-up action, their community remains perched precariously on the edge of another sanitation disaster.
END
