TMA warns against illegal felling of trees in Tema

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has cautioned citizens against unauthorized tree removal in the city, emphasizing the crucial role trees play in mitigating the environmental impact of industrial and port activities. Madam Ebi Bright, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, revealed that the assembly recently discovered a site at Meridian Enclave where at least ten trees had been cut down without a permit or prior coordination with the TMA.

She emphasized that such actions constitute criminal behavior and are part of a larger issue of lawlessness and disregard for environmental and regulatory systems. Trees were purposefully planted throughout Tema due to its status as a major port and industrial hub, which experiences significant carbon emissions. Removing them, according to Bright, essentially shortens lives.

She stressed that the trees are vital for cleaning the air, regulating temperatures, and enhancing the city's environmental conditions. The MCE highlighted the unauthorised tree removal as a public concern, especially in a city facing environmental pressures from industrial and port operations. During an inspection in Meridian Enclave, she reported encountering multiple unauthorized activities across the city, making enforcement challenging due to their frequency and scale.

She urged residents, businesses, and stakeholders to comprehend the city's regulatory and environmental management systems, engage the TMA for developments affecting public spaces and the environment, and obtain necessary permits. Bright noted that Tema's environmental issues extend beyond tree felling to include the degradation of drainage and sewer systems caused by unregulated development, which has compromised public utility infrastructure and created sanitation challenges for communities.

She appealed to residents to stop actions that undermine the city's environmental integrity and collaborate with the assembly to safeguard Tema's natural and public assets.