Parliament urges MMDAs to enforce sanitation bylaws to curb indiscriminate waste disposal

Parliament’s Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to actively enforce their sanitation bylaws to address the issue of indiscriminate waste disposal. The Committee acknowledges that indiscipline among residents poses a significant challenge to improving sanitation across the country.

Chairman John Oti Bless emphasized that merely having sanitation regulations on paper is not enough unless assemblies take active measures to enforce them. Speaking to JoyNews, he highlighted indiscriminate waste disposal as one of the major hurdles facing Ghana's sanitation sector. Oti Bless stressed that assemblies must move beyond drafting bylaws and ensure accountability for those who violate sanitation regulations.

He urged the assemblies to implement and enforce these bylaws, stating that this is the only way to overcome the current sanitation issues. The Committee is currently conducting a nationwide monitoring exercise to evaluate sanitation conditions and waste management practices. Drawing from Rwanda's success in sanitation through strict regulations and compliance, Oti Bless suggested that Ghana could similarly strengthen enforcement while encouraging residents to assume greater responsibility for the cleanliness of their communities.

He warned that irresponsible waste disposal would have negative repercussions. The Committee has also called on the media to intensify public education on responsible waste disposal and the importance of maintaining clean communities, believing that sustained public education combined with stronger enforcement by local authorities is crucial to tackling Ghana's sanitation challenges.