The Municipal Sanitation Day clean-up exercise was organized to improve environmental cleanliness and promote public health within Nkoranza South Municipality. This initiative formed part of the National Sanitation Day activities aimed at mobilizing communities to take an active role in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
The objective of this exercise is to rid the community of accumulated refuse, plastics, and other waste materials and to strengthen community participation in environmental sanitation.
Moreover, the exercise brought together the following groups and individuals like the Municipal Chief Executive and his entourage, the Zongo Community and leaders, the Traditional Authorities, the Assembly Members, the Nkoranza Market Women, the Zoomlion Staffs, Members from the National Democratic Party, Staff from the Environmental Health Unit and Municipal Assembly, Nkoranza South Community members and Teachers and students from Nkoranza Technical Institute and Nkoranza Senior High Technical School.
However, the clean-up exercise began at 6:00 a.m. and included the following key activities; Sweeping and cleaning of the roadside from the Municipal Assembly, and adjoining lanes, Opening and clearing of major and adjoining drains along the Nkoranza stretch, plastics, and other debris, Collection and transportation of refuse using wheelbarrows into a designated skip container, which was later moved to the final disposal site, Sensitization by Environmental Health Officers on the dangers of crude dumping and other unhygienic practices,
Pre-announcements to mobilize participants to the site and Provision of a public address system to encourage and motivate participants.
The clean-up exercise yielded several positive outcomes; the street were significantly cleared, market traders were educated on maintaining a clean and healthy working environment, fostering a sense of responsibility among the community, and proper disposal of collected waste was ensured, preventing crude dumping.
Recommendations and way forward are to provide additional logistics to support larger turn outs intensify community education and enforcement of sanitation laws, encourage market leaders to adopt daily sweeping routines, provide an additional communal waste container at either the market or the street of Nkoranza.
The Sanitation Day clean-up exercise from the Municipal Assembly through the street and its environment was successfully carried out. The environment was visibly improved, and public awareness was enhanced. With continuous support from the Municipal Assembly, stakeholders, and residents, a clean and healthy environment can be sustained in the areas Nkoranza South.