Aftermath of June 3 Disaster: Zoomlion responds with clean-up exercise
As we gradually come to terms with the loss of human lives, injury to hundreds of others and damage to property during the fire/flood disaster that struck the nation’s capital on June 3, 2015, the next challenge was the huge task of clearing the debris left behind as a result.
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This was a task that required technical expertise and appropriate equipment to execute.
The disaster had once again brought into sharp focus, the weaknesses and lapses in the country's sanitation and environmental management systems but also brought into question the state of Accra’s drainage system.
Perhaps what could be described as the greatest exposure of all was our inability as a people to adopt the right attitude towards sanitation, for if every individual could take responsibility for his/her immediate environment, a disaster of such magnitude could either have been averted or its effects minimised at least.
One organisation which won commendation from the general the general public was waste management experts, Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, which responded with urgency by moving into the affected communities to restore sanity.
The company deployed 60 trucks and other logistics including water tankers, refuse trucks, compaction trucks, wheel loaders, wheelbarrows, head pans, brooms, gloves, nose masks, tricycles and other equipment that were mobilised to help clear huge chunks of debris that had choked the drains and spilling over roads and other empty spaces as well as leftovers of collapsed buildings and other structures that also had to be cleared.
That was in support of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s efforts to clean up the city.
Areas that benefited from the clean-up exercise include Sahara, Odorna Clinic , Old Timers Spot, Adabraka Official Town Presby Church, Aponkye Spot and the local mosque all at Adabraka which were submerged by the floods.
Zoomlion also employed the use of chemicals to fumigate the communities and to quench the stench emanating from stagnant water which worsened the plight of affected persons most of whom have been rendered homeless.
With the threat of a possible cholera outbreak, the timely intervention by Zoomlion to clear debris that had been heaped on pavements and roadsides indiscriminately was worth commending.
June 3 was a dark day in the country’s history that may take years to forget. However, as we count our losses, we need to learn useful lessons from the unfortunate incident and vow never to allow its occurrence again.
Sanitation is a shared responsibility and while we appeal to individuals to be more responsible in waste disposal and management, it is important to remind the city authorities to play their part by improving upon the drainage system and rigidly enforcing the bye-laws on sanitation and exacting the appropriate penalties when necessary.
Let us keep mother Ghana clean, green and healthy.