Threat of respiratory disease at Lake Road

Travelling on the Chirapatre-Jachie stretch of the Lake Road through the district capital, Kuntanase, to Abono has now become a nightmare.

Since June 2018, when construction work on the stretch started, road users have resorted to the use of personal protective equipment (PPEs) against the dust.

Like consciously escaping the COVID-19 (coronavirus), commuters drape themselves in these PPEs; without them commuters, motorists and pedestrians from Jachie through Aputuogya, Feyiase, Esereso and its environs are covered in dust that settles on their bodies, shoes, clothes and enters their nostrils and mouths.

Asthmatic patients go the extra mile to arm themselves with their inhalers.

The dust also affects visibility, creating danger for motorists, so that even in broad daylight, motorists regularly beam their headlights to oncoming vehicles to avoid head-on collisions.

Potholes

The Chirapatre to Abidjan Junction is also riddled with potholes, making frequent visits to the mechanics a permanent feature for drivers on the stretch. Ironically, the Chirapatre-Jachie road is part of the Ahensan-Chirapatre-Abono dual carriageway project.

The stretch is the government’s initiative to expand the road network in the metropolis to curb the daily massive vehicular traffic in the Kumasi metropolis.

Made up of a dual carriageway asphalt road from the Coca Cola Junction at Ahensan to Abidjan Nkwanta, it covers a distance of 11.5 km.

Contractors

Two contractors, CHICO Ghana Ltd, a Chinese construction company and Kofi Job Ltd, a Ghanaian construction firm, are handling the 11.5km project.

While CHICO Ghana Ltd is handling the three-kilometre stretch from the Coca Cola Junction to Dompoase, Kofi Job Ltd is constructing the eight-kilometre stretch between Dompoase and Abidjan Junction.

Incidentally, it is the difference in construction that has generated concern among the public.

On the Coca Cola Junction-Dompoase stretch, construction works are carried out along the main road, which allows human and vehicular traffic to flow freely.

Drains and bridges are also being constructed, with regular watering to ensure that any dust generated while construction works are ongoig settles.

Health implications

Road users, however, put on their PPEs before hitting the Dompoase-Abidjan Junction road due to the dust on the stretch and the fact that the contractor does not use water to minimise the effects.

A journal by the American Fabric Filter on June 11, 2018 warned, “Inhaling dust particles over time can cause various health problems, including sneezing, persistent cough, rhinitis, asthma attacks and pneumoconiosis”.

“There are dozens of health issues that can set in due to dust inhalation. There are actually quite a few people who are allergic to dust,” it said.

It noted that when dust inhalation became too much, “your body will force you into frequent coughing fits that can physically hurt”.”

On asthma attacks, it said asthmatic patients who got into contact with dust “are more likely to experience asthma attack”.

Road transport

Road users have urged the Minister of Roads to call Kofi Job Construction firm to order.

“He is being paid for this work and so he cannot put our health at risk,” a mini-bus driver, Joseph Ababio, told the Daily Graphic.

“Since he started work, commercial drivers hardly meet daily sales, because we are either at mechanic shops repairing our vehicles or washing bays, cleaning off the dust,” he bemoaned.

A middle-aged woman, Ms Cecilia Oppong, said as an asthmatic patient, she carried her inhaler when using the road.

“I risk losing my life if I forget my inhaler, because this contractor is unmindful of the health implications of his work,” she said.

“Does the Road Transport Minister devise mechanisms for checking road contractors, so they do the right thing,or he does go to bed as soon as he cuts the sod for contractors to begin work?” she queried.