The Managing Director of Wastelandfills Ghana Limited, Peter Dagadu, has said that a multi-purpose waste treatment plant which has a component of an Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) is the solution to the waste challenges confronting Western North Region.
According to him, rising population in the region following its creation in 2019 has also resulted in the increase in waste generation, hence, the need for a multi-purpose waste treatment plant.
He said best standards in the management of waste provide that every urban settlement with a population of more that 100,000 should have a multi-purpose waste treatment plant with components such as IRECOP which is a material recovery facility that will recover valuables from waste, a liquid waste treatment facility that will handle about 1000 cubic litres of liquid waste and a medical waste treatment plant that will handle about 200kg of waste every four hours as well as a residual landfill to deal with materials that cannot be processed.
“This is a total solution to waste within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality and beyond”, he noted.
Mr. Dagadu made this observation on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, when interacting with a joint Parliamentary Select Committees on Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Works and Housing, Finance and Local Government who had paid a working visit to Sefwi Wiawso in the Western Region to inspect ongoing installation of a multi-purpose waste treatment plant in the area.
The population in Sefwi Wiawso currently stands at 135,000 with surrounding communities providing additional population of about 54,000, making the entire growth of about 189,000.
Statistics provided by Zoomlion Ghana indicate that the Sefwi Wiawso Municipal Assembly and surrounding communities generate about 110 tons of waste a daily, with the tonnage expected to increase in the coming years.
In the view of Mr. Dagadu, the IRECOP being set up alone could handle over 250 tons of waste a day when it comes on stream.
“So, certainly there is even under capacity but looking into the future and also envisaging other sites will feed in later on, we are putting this capacity here to prepare to collect anything that comes”, he explained.
The project is expected to create direct employment to about 80 to 100 people, with the value chain expected to employ about 500 people.
The facility cited on an 80-acre of land commenced on November 23, 2020 and is expected to be completed in August, 2021.
The Western North Zonal Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mr. Isaac Bamfo, told the law makers that the multi-purpose waste treatment plant being put up by the Jospong Group of Companies will serve communities such as Sefwi Wiawso, Juaboso, Bodi and Bibiani-Anwiaso-Bekwai.
Some members on the Committee raised issues ranging from proper acquisition of land documentation, compensation packages, and the citing of the facility near a warehouse.
For instance, a member on the Select Committee for Local Government and MP for Sene East in the Bono East Region, Dominic Napare urged the facility owners to ensure that the adjourning communities to the project who might not fall within the 80-acre land acquired but will have the adverse effects of the company should be factored into the agreement to ensure that they are properly compensated.
Another Member on the Local Government Committee and MP for Banda, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, enquired from the facility owners whether the plant will not have any adverse effect on a nearby warehouse facility.
In response, Mr. Dagadu said the citing of the facility is in compliance with 200 metres range from a human settlement as provided by the waste landfills guidelines.
