The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has launched a massive tree-planting exercise at Atasemanso as part of efforts to restore the city’s beautiful scenery, which earned it the accolade, “Garden City of West Africa.”
This is being done with support from the ‘Friends of River and Water Bodies’, an environmental NGO, and the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG).
Mr. Osei Asibey Antwi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), said they have planned to plant 20,000 tree seedlings across the city by the close of the year.
It is expected that 1,000 of these would be planted in the Nhyiaeso sub-metropolitan area alone.
The tree seedlings are being supplied by FORIG and include ‘Terminalia montalis’, ‘Bliglia sapida’, ‘Polythia longifolia’, ‘Militia thonningi’ and royal palm.
Mr. Asibey Antwi said he was eager to see the greenery of the city return.
He added that steps had been taken to protect the trees, nurture their growth and prevent them from being destroyed.
The MCE said there had never been a time in the history of mankind when the issue of environmental protection had become so urgent and critical.
He made reference to the high level of pollution associated with the growing industrialization and urbanization and said it was the time the people acted together to safeguard the environment.
He spoke of the determination of the assembly to deepen the engagement with the people to motivate them to take to tree planting.
Nana Owusu Barima III, the chief of Atasemanso, rallied his colleague traditional leaders to lead the campaign to halt the environmental degradation.
Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, Executive Director of the Friends of River and Water Bodies, called for stiffer punishment for those who flouted environmental-sanitation bye-laws of the assemblies.
The KMA over the last three years, under the Urban Forestry Project, had planted trees at Asokwa, Santasi, and along the Sofoline – Tanoso road.
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Source: GNA