The devastating effect of the trash phenomenon in Ghana is a great concern for many people. We have witnessed the dramatic effect of the Kaneshie floods which was as a result of plastic waste choking the majority of the channels making it impossible for the free passage of water.
On October 2, major flooding occurred in one of the hottest parts of Accra, Kaneshie, leading to the destruction of a lot of property, loss of lives and displacement of people from their homes.
Anda key contributor to the floods in Accra, especially in Kaneshie, is trash that blocks the drainage system available in our great city. Improper disposal of trash has therefore become one of the main concerns of flooding because many of us have turned our drainages into dumping sites or grounds.
Why is the issue of poor sanitation still prevalent and is still one of the pending issues to be resolved in Ghana? What aren’t we doing right? Better still, where does your trash go?
A story published by a local journalist recounts the devastating effect of the flood which occurred on October 2 in Kaneshie, of which he brings to attention the main underlining problem of flooding which is simply the trash we do.
One of the victims of the Kaneshie flood, Madam Theresa Buston and her family had to struggle all night to save their belongings to no avail. From mattresses, clothing, electrical and electronic equipment, her family had to keep wake and watch flood waters rise over a meter in their home.
“The flood waters were up to my breast line. We stood in the waters all night because there was nowhere else to go. Seeing all my things get destroyed broke my heart. It took the grace of God that the kids were not swept away by the flood waters. We were swimming with the ‘borla’. Because people throw rubbish into gutters and it chokes them. Why are we doing this to ourselves?” she said.
Not only, do we have Theresa to recount her painful experience with floods but however, among the victim is also Abubakari.
Another resident, Muntari Abubakari, said, “Water entered my shop when I came to work. This is not the first time this is happening. But it was worst this time. Look at the waste we are cleaning from here. If we don’t manage the waste well, why won’t floods kill us?”
These are just but a few of the victims. Many out there continue to suffer in silence every time floods affect their lives negatively. We all need, as a people, as law-abiding Ghanaians to seek freedom from floods by adopting and maintaining decent and a proper way of putting trash away. #STOPTHETRASH.
All things being equal, we can attribute the underlying issue of the Kaneshie flooding to the trash we make. And is that something we want our next generations to inherit?
Let’s rise up and #STOPTHETRASH.
