POLLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER-BODIES WITH POOR SANITATION SYSTEM IN GHANA

Ghana, a country in West Africa, has a population of 30 million people. Lack of clean, pure drinking water and sanitation system has been affecting many lives and properties. Each year, poor people living in both rural and urban communities suffer, when there is a heavy down pour of rains, causing flood and diseases, such as cholera and malaria across poor communities. Again, bad attitude of young school-going age people, engaged in illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey’, pollute our water-bodies, thereby killing fishes and other aquatic animals.

This is experienced because the people involved lack proper sanitation, effective drainage systems, so that the gutters are choked due to poor sanitation system and the lifestyle of some of the people living in the community. These people also lack education or just refuse to pay heed to environmental Experts’ advice. Throwing garbage in the drains has been their habit for a greater part of their existence and destroying farms lands has also become their stock in trade; erroneously believing that they are making good livelihood out of that exploitation.

Environmental Sanitation is important for all; helping to maintain good health and increase life-span among people. However, it is especially important for children and the youth in communities, worldwide. It might interest you to know that children around the world, over 800 of them; under the age of five, die every day from preventable diarrhea-related diseases caused by lack of access to pure drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. This is the effect of the degradation of our environment by these people.

Description: ''Clean'' and ''Sanitation''.

“Clean”, means that soil and food are visibly removed from surfaces.

''Sanitation'' When items are “sanitized” it means that those surfaces have a reduction of pathogens. There still may be microorganisms present, but they are at safe levels.

Generally, surfaces of equipment, food preparation tables and utensils that come into direct contact with food should be washed, sanitized and air-dried.

Cleaning and environmental sanitation are important for the following reasons:-

Firstly, to minimize food wastage due to food contamination.

Secondly, getting drinking clean and pure water in Ghana is hard to come by, in most communities. Or better still, is not safe to drink. A government's role in providing sanitation is to set policy and regulate the sector to ensure a clean and healthy living environment for its people. At the same time, individuals and households bear responsibility for their own well-being by adopting improved sanitation and hygiene practices.

Lastly, all effort must be made to discourage all forms of illegal mining activities in our communities. By so doing, we are restoring back to society God-given clean and healthy environment.

Category:

Society 

Oganisation:

Clevenard

Writer:

Charles Ollivant Akpome