Residents of Soe, a community in the Poor sanitation, have expressed concern over the deteriorating sanitation conditions in the area, particularly around the Soe market.
A visit to the community showed heaps of refuse around the market square, choked drains, and open dumping site close to the trading areas.
The situation, residents said, posed significant health risks, especially as the dry season sets in.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Madam Talata Aduko, a vegetable seller at the Soe market, said the sanitation problem had persisted for years despite several appeals to the authorities.
“We sell foodstuffs and vegetables here, but the rubbish around us keeps increasing. When the wind blows, it carries dust and waste onto our goods. We fear for our health and that of our customers,” she said.
Another trader, Madam Elizabeth Ayam, also expressed similar concerns, stating that the absence of regular waste collection had made the sanitation situation worse.
“The refuse containers are hardly emptied, and when they overflow, people start dumping waste on the ground. Sometimes we clean around our shops, but the problem is bigger than what we can handle alone,” she said.
The residents also complained that poor drainage systems and the lack of designated waste bins had encouraged indiscriminate dumping of waste and called on the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly to address the problem with urgency.
Some community members also suggested the introduction of communal clean-up schedules and public education on waste management, while others urged the Assembly to enforce sanitation by- laws.
Meanwhile, health workers at a local health facility in the area who pleaded anonymity indicated that cases of diarrhoea and other hygiene-related infections often rise during periods of waste accumulation in the area.
The Soe community appealed for immediate attention to prevent a possible public health crisis.
