Over 20 people were detained by the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Area’s Environmental Health Agency for open defecation on the beaches. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Abdul Karim Hudu, Metropolitan Environmental Health Director, claimed that the violators had been told to pay spot fines of GHS 600.00 and urgently build domestic facilities.
For many people who live near the coasts of new Takoradi, Nkotompo, Assaman, and Nketsiahkrom, to name a few, open defecation remains a serious environmental health concern. It also appears to undermine progress made by local and international NGOs in their efforts to eventually end the practice.
According to Mr. Karim Hudu, the 20 individuals detained between January and February had also received education to recognize and appreciate the necessity of owning private facilities to maintain the cleanliness of the beaches and draw tourists. The beach should be a place to unwind, not to dispose of human waste.
He explained that the Assembly had a project to build numerous household facilities and urged property owners and homes to take advantage of the chance and partnership to contribute to the effort to create a cleaner environment and city.
