In spite of the existence of Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD) in the Upper East Region, the unhealthy growth of human settlements in various towns and villages are still chaotic to some residents.
The situation has made some residents in the Bolgatanga Municipality to call on government to immediately dissolve the department as it is a waste of state resources.
According to them, the key reason for the establishment of the department was to promote sustainable human settlements on the principles of efficiency and orderliness, but that has not been achieved due to lack of law enforcement at the various units in the region.
Speaking to the media, some residents within the Bolgatanga Municipality said that for more than decades, they have never heard from the department in any public gathering sensitizing them on the steps and measures they should take before building their houses.
A resident at Nawuma Zongo in the Bolgatanga Municipality, who gave his name as John for security reasons described a fearful example of his area.
“Just look at Nawuma Zongo, see how closed human settlements are, should in case there’s any fire outbreak not even a single soul will survive because no heavy vehicle can enter there as I speak. Just Nawuma Zongo here, there was one particular space that was marked for heavy vehicles to be passing, but just last year, a private developer is seriously building on that same space. So, what is the usefulness of TCPD in this region anyway?” He asked.
Another resident at Daporitindongo in the Bolgatanga Municipality also expressed shocked of the still existence of the department in the region.
He said “I never thought that such a department still exists. Since it was officially abolished in 1960 under the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act of 1960 (Act 33). If indeed, such department still exists, then government needs to scrap it off because it doesn’t serve its purpose and only wasting the country resources. Bolgatanga here, some people are ignorantly building their houses on spaces that have been marked for roads, but the department is mute. Just take a look around ‘Club Deposit’ (inside Bolgatanga township), see how disturbing buildings are. Should incase there is any emergency of fire outbreak, how can such heavy vehicles enter?”
“Most workers at the regional and municipal level like traveling for personal businesses regardless of working days. For almost a year now, I have never heard them do any public sensitization about their purposes and benefits of existence in the region. I believe strongly all these contribute to the unhealthy growth of human settlements we have today on our towns and villages.” another resident in Bolga- Estates said.
Meanwhile, our efforts to get responses from either the Regional or Municipal Director for TCPD at the time of filing this report have proven futile.
Source; a1radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Moses Apiah|Ghana|
