The Central Regional Assistant Programmes Manager of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Haniff Abeiku Forson has urged the public to put a stop to practicing open burning, especially during this third harmattan season.
Speaking on the current state of air quality in Ghana on ATL FM, he revealed that the recent climate change is a result of bad practices that people engage in, including open burning, fumes from vehicles, and smoke from factories, among others which according to him is contributing to air pollution.
He notes that these human-induced activities are leading to climate change and its health implications for the general public.
He said “So, all these are contributing factors to air pollution, which has contributed to climate change. Now, we are experiencing Hamartan in February. I think this is one of the problems that we are facing as a country. You go anywhere and people are just burning anyhow. It’s also a problem that we need to check”
Mr. Abeiku Forson as such advised the Ghanaian masses to use incinerators in situations where the materials are in large quantities or hazardous, or hand over their waste to waste collectors to handle them appropriately instead of burning them openly.
He explained that “Insinuation only comes in when it is a very hazardous material. That one undergoes complete burning and the smoke moves up. We have calibrations for the insulation so that one is able to burn the rubbish completely. So, if it’s just a pile of normal rubbish, you don’t need to burn, just deposit it in the dustbin. The zoom lion has the appropriate equipment to handle the waste.”
He also called on the various assemblies in the region to enforce environmental protection by-laws.
He said such acts are directly under the jurisdiction of the assemblies, they are to ensure that individuals involved in open burning put a stop to it.
In addition, he said the district assemblies should as well penalize persons found engaging in any practice that contributes to environmental pollution.
Mr. Abeiku Forson further appealed to individuals to prioritize their health amidst the current weather condition by staying indoors, washing their hands, and using nose masks till the time the third Harmattan season dies out.
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Source: Abigail Kpobi/ATLFMNEWS
