Ho West District Assembly to prosecute noise makers
The Ho West District Assembly has taken a firm stance to prosecute noise makers swiftly to enforce sanity in the communities and promote its tourism development agenda.
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The District Chief Executive, Ernest Victor Apau, said at a community engagement at Kpoeta-Ashanti last Friday that the assembly could not look on unconcerned when some unruly individuals and groups deprived other people of their peace with impunity.
“The noise from drinking spots, some places of worship, and funeral venues in recent times is unbearable,” he said.
Mr Apau said the assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had worked out the framework to facilitate a fast-track prosecution of the offenders, adding the presence of a magistrate court in the district capital; Dzolo-Kpuita, would greatly enhance that agenda.
Final warning
He said the assembly would this week serve the final warning notice against noise making to various groups in the communities after which a task force would go after the perpetrators without compromise.
Mr Apau explained that noise-making was an environmental offence which could thwart various forms of productivity, apart from depriving people of their sleep and peace.
“Noise can scare away animals in the forests and deter tourists from visiting the district,” he told the people.
The DCE announced that the area was set for a serious tourism development and nature conservation project and that required environmental tranquillity. For that matter, he maintained, unrestrained noise would no longer be tolerated by the assembly.
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“Some drinking spots operate with deafening noise until 3 a.m. to the nuisance of the others,” the DCE added.
Mr Apau said the assembly was collaborating with the EPA to make the permissible noise levels at residential, commercial and industrial domains readily available to the communities.
He said the multi-million mega project to conserve the environment in some communities in the district would take off in a fortnight and could only progress smoothly in an ambience of serenity, without destructive noise, Mr Apau explained.
The DCE also held a similar community engagement in neighbouring Kpoeta-Achem.
Later, the Volta Regional Director of the EPA, Hope Smith Lomotey, gave an assurance that the agency would collaborate with the Ho West District Assembly, round the clock to ensure the Ambient Noise Control (standard for environmental and health protection) was strictly adhered to.
The Ho West District, which boasts of captivating waterfalls and dense forests is also home to some endangered plants and animal species and has attracted the attention of nature conservation groups.