Agomanya Market traders call for permanent removal of refuse dump over health fears

Traders at Agomanya Market in Ghana’s Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, Eastern Region, are demanding the permanent relocation of a long-standing refuse dump from the centre of the market, warning that it is creating serious sanitation problems and harming business.

The dumping site is surrounded by food vendors, cold stores, corn mills and other commercial activities. Traders say the constant smell, flies and mosquitoes are making the market unpleasant for customers and unsafe for those who work there.

The dump has served the market and nearby communities for decades and continues to receive waste from hundreds of households, residents and businesses. People reportedly pay between GH¢1 and GH¢2 to dispose of rubbish there, while thousands of traders add significantly to the volume of waste produced each day.

Three refuse containers are usually placed at the site, but traders say they often become full within a few days. The resulting piles of rubbish can remain for weeks before they are removed.

The traders believe that simply clearing the waste will not resolve the underlying problem. They want the site moved to a location away from the market, rather than continuing the cycle of dumping and delayed collection.

Traders warn of impact on business

Cold store operator Tetteh Odjidja, who has worked beside the dump for three months, said the situation was damaging the market’s image and had become intolerable.

“They usually come for the refuse only after a prolonged time. Mosquitoes have become a major problem and the situation must be addressed. Food is sold all around this area and this dump should not be here. It should be evacuated from the middle of the market altogether,” he said.

He added: “It is unpleasant when our customers come to us in this situation. We want to know where all the toll revenue goes because this situation must be addressed.”

Maku Kpabi, who has sold maize and corn dough close to the dump for 16 years, said traders had repeatedly complained about the site.

“This site has given us many problems. We have complained several times. They clear it, we ask them not to return the refuse here, but they do. Flies are all over the place because food is sold around here. We plead with the assembly to act. This latest uncleared heap has been here for more than a month and the dump should be evacuated from here altogether,” she said.

She said both traders and customers had raised concerns over the years, adding that moving the dump would improve sanitation and help rebuild confidence in the market.

William Bodua, the leader of the corn millers, described the refuse site as a major public health concern.

“The Agomanya Market is big, but this site sits right in the middle of the market with foodstuff being sold around it. Flies are all over and we have complained several times, but there has been no concrete response,” he said.

Bodua said authorities had blamed the latest delay in removing the rubbish on difficulties at the landfill site at nearby Akrade. He nevertheless called for the dumping area to be relocated immediately.

“Health concerns are increasing because of this situation. The refuse should be cleared and the site moved away from the market,” he added.

Resident Maukle Teye said the problem was also affecting people who lived near the market.

“Many people trading and living around here have contracted typhoid fever. Sometimes we organise ourselves to gather and prevent it from spreading wider on the floor when the situation becomes unbearable,” he said.

Assembly response

When contacted, Mohammed Rafat, the Assembly Member for the Agormanya South Electoral Area, said repeated breakdowns of the refuse collection truck had contributed to the delays in clearing the site.

He did not immediately respond to the traders’ demand for the dump to be permanently removed from the market.

The traders say regular waste collection remains necessary, but insist that the lasting solution is to relocate the refuse site away from the heart of Agomanya Market. They believe that would protect public health, improve sanitation and create a more suitable environment for trading.