The government has commenced the removal of an estimated one million tonnes of waste from Agbogbloshie as part of a 90-day clean-up operation.
President John Dramani Mahama commissioned the exercise, which will see the accumulated waste transported from the Accra site to the Adepa Engineered Landfill near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is coordinating the operation with support from the Ghana Armed Forces and DRIP.
The volume of waste was estimated through a drone-assisted artificial intelligence assessment.
President Mahama said the exercise is intended to address the longstanding sanitation and environmental problems at Agbogbloshie while preparing the area for redevelopment.
He said the operation would bring an end to open dumping and burning at the site and help reclaim the land.
“We are deploying heavy equipment which was secured under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), including tipper trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and wheel loaders to confront this longstanding national challenge.”
The 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces is providing engineering and operational support.
The waste will undergo controlled disposal, compaction and covering at the Adepa facility.
The project is being financed by the Ministry of Finance, with additional support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Government says the exercise forms part of the proposed Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project, which is expected to transform the area after the waste has been cleared.
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