The Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly has begun a major clean-up exercise across all nine refuse dump sites within the municipality as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation.
The exercise began on Monday, June 29, 2026, and is expected to last about three days, with officials indicating that work will continue until all designated dumping sites have been completely cleared.
Speaking to the media, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Evans Bornaa, said the Assembly is using heavy-duty equipment acquired by the previous government to undertake the exercise.
“We are using the machines that were procured by the previous government, and this clean-up exercise forms part of our budget for the year. We clear the refuse dumps whenever the need arises,” he said.
According to Mr. Bornaa, the exercise covers major dumping sites, including Sawaba, the Stadium area, Akolbila opposite the drinking spot, Sumbrungu, and several other locations within the municipality.
He disclosed that the Assembly is spending more than GH¢19,000 on the exercise. He explained that one of the machines consumes fuel worth about GH¢5,000, while each of the other machines requires approximately GH¢2,500 worth of fuel, in addition to the cost of paying the operators.
Mr. Bornaa stressed that the Assembly does not deliberately wait for refuse containers to overflow before clearing them.
“It is not our policy to wait until the containers are full and overflowing before we remove the waste. The major challenge is the limited resources available to us,” he explained.
He also blamed poor sanitation practices among some residents for the persistent overflow of waste, particularly on market days.
“On market days, some people dump refuse around the containers instead of putting it inside them. We all need to change our attitude towards sanitation if we want to live in a clean and healthy environment,” he appealed.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for the Sawaba Electoral Area, Maxwell Adongo Ayoka, welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and beneficial to residents.
“This exercise will bring great relief to my community. It is not the first time these refuse dumps have been cleared, but this time we are putting measures in place to ensure they remain clean,” he said.
Mr. Ayoka revealed that the Assembly plans to assign personnel to monitor the dumping sites and collect small user fees for waste disposal. “We intend to station someone at the site to monitor activities and collect charges for dumping refuse. The revenue generated can support the Assembly whenever there are challenges, such as purchasing fuel for waste collection,” he noted.
He added that public education on proper waste management has already been carried out through local media outlets and community engagement programmes.
“If anyone assigned to manage the site is not committed to keeping the place clean, we will replace the person. We all have a responsibility to manage the waste we generate,” he said.
Mr. Ayoka further urged residents to stop depending entirely on waste management companies and instead take personal responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean. “When we all play our part, the Assembly can use the money currently spent on clearing indiscriminate refuse dumps for other development projects that will benefit the municipality.”
The clean-up exercise forms part of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly’s broader commitment to improving sanitation and protecting public health. Authorities are hopeful that, alongside stronger enforcement and increased public awareness, residents will adopt responsible waste disposal practices to help keep the municipality clean long after the exercise is completed.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz |Â Mary Atiamah Aperika | Bolgatanga
