The National Youth Authority (NYA) has contracted a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) to help green the toxic infested Agbogbloshie community in Accra.
The Authority; the body that owns the land on which the scrap dealers operate has indicated it wants to make the area safe for residents.
Environmental groups; the Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland in its compiled list after surveying more than 2,000 sites in 49 countries in less than a decade, ranked Ghana among the top 10 world’s largest e-waste dump site.
Scrap dealers in their search for metals to sell, burn the electronics after dismantling them with basic tools like hammers and screw drivers and in some cases, with their bare hands.
According to the calculations by the Blacksmith Institute, such toxic pollution threatens the health of more than 200 million people, and industrial pollutants, led by lead–acid battery recycling, affect the health of more people than malaria globally.
Ghana now imports about 215,000 metric tons of European computers, cell phones, microwaves, refrigerators, televisions and other electronic goods, making Agbogbloshie the second-largest site for processing such e-waste in all of West Africa.
Speaking to Citi News however, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the NYA, Ras Mubarak said his outfit is not “oblivious to the fact that the place is a toxic center.”
He revealed that the arrangement between the Authority and the NGO called Green Advocacy Ghana will bring in equipment to bring the scrap dealers at Agbogbloshi “so that they can be able to pursue and do their activities in a very sustainable manner that will not cause harm to themselves and to the environment.”
According to Mr. Mubarak, his outfit also has plans to detoxify the area and gave the assurance that work in the area will begin by the end of the second quarter of this year.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana