News · Michael Teye Amartey

Waste treatment plant continue to rot as assemblies struggle to manage tons of waste generated daily in Koforidua.

A multi-million-cedi waste treatment facility in the Eastern Region, completed to about 95 percent, has been abandoned for years, as tons of waste continue to pile up in communities across the Koforidua area, heightening concerns over public health and environmental safety.

The Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant, located along the Koforidua-Akwadum Road, was constructed from 2020 by Zoomlion in partnership with government to provide a modern solution to the region’s growing waste management challenges.

But despite the installation of conveyor belts, sorting screens and composting machinery, the facility remains non-operational, leaving local assemblies to rely heavily on an open dumping site that becomes increasingly difficult to access, particularly during the rainy season.

The New Juaben South Municipality alone generates between 400 to 500 tons of waste daily while New Juaben North adds another 150 to 200 tons to the daily regional total. 

The current open dumping site becomes a disaster zone during the rainy season.

Unpaved access roads turn into slick mud, causing heavy waste trucks to get stuck and halt dumping entirely. Public health experts warn that these persistent delays and massive, rotting street piles are creating prime breeding grounds for major disease outbreaks.

The New Juaben North Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Samuel Adongo, in his response said, President John Dramani Mahama, has directed that all abandoned waste management plants throughout the country be completed adding that the Eastern Regional facility will start operation by the end of this month. 

He said the facility when operationalized, will absorb waste materials from ten districts in the region.

However, the Eastern Regional Manager of the Zoomlion limited was not around to talk to our correspondent on the issue.