The Sunyani West Municipal Assembly in the Bono Region has indicated its readiness to drag to court persons whose activities pollute the Atta Dei stream located at Fiapre.

The Atta Dei stream has been a source of drinking water for its inhabitants. However, it has been polluted by sewage connected from some homes into it.

The acting MCE for Sunyani West Municipal Assembly, Martin Obeng says this unlawful act poses threat to public health and vowed to prosecute culprits.

“They [persons polluting the stream with their sewage] should be prosecuted straight away because as a normal human being, you know very well that laying your sewage into a stream that people drink, if it were you, you will not drink that water, so why do you have to lay your sewage into a stream that people drink from? Whether we drink it or not, you have no right to lay your sewage into any stream in this country and straight away they should be prosecuted.”

He further cautioned the public that “it is against the law to connect your sewage; whether bath sewage or whatever, into any stream. Once you have decided to build your house, you should find the appropriate way of disposing of the waste. Never connect your sewage to any river or stream in this country. Within my municipality as far as I am here, anyone who has done that will be prosecuted.”

Also, the Fiapre Traditional Council has thrown its support behind the Municipal Assembly to prosecute people whose activities pollute the stream.

The Krontihene of Fiapre, Nana Donyina Kusi II told Citi News that despite the announcement to deter people from the act they “are not ready to listen to what we have been telling them, so we have also given our support to the MCE or the assembly to prosecute those who have laid their pipes and others into the stream. Per our checks and what we saw, most of them didn’t have the permit, and it is against the law.”

He added that, “as a member of the Sanitation Planning Committee I am aware of those who have been around the stream. I learnt that they should be 50 metres away from the stream, but they are within the 50 metres limit. So we have been informing the assembly to prosecute those people”.

Source: citifmonline