Sod has been cut for a state of the art waste recycling plant at the Gbalahi waste disposal site in the Sagnarigu Municipality.
The project dubbed the integrated recycling and compost plants (Northern solid and liquid waste treatment facility), is private sector led facility to be undertaken by Zoomlion Ghana limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong group at a total cost of 20 million Euros.
The plant when completed between four to 12 months, is expected to effectively and efficiently manage waste in some parts of the region into a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way.
The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed who performed the groundbreaking on behalf of President Nana Akuffo Addo was happy that the facility would help to tackle a major challenge facing the region and that is sanitation.
In addition to that, the facility will turn waste into organic compost thereby helping to enrich the soil fertility which would benefit farmers in horticultural crop production and the government’s flagship – planting for food and jobs programme.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness and therefore a very clean environment signifies a dignified and decent people. So therefore this facility isn’t only going to see to a clean environment, but will enhance our closeness with our maker,” Salifu Saeed stated.
“Poor sanitation goes with a lot of health related challenges and given the fact that majority of our people in the region are still languishing within the poverty bracket, it is important that we take preventative measure seriously,” he added.
The Chief Operating Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Madam Florence Larbi in an address mentioned two projects – a 200 ton solid waste treatment equipped with 21st century technology in sanitation management which aims to provide a sustainable solution to recover and recycle over 60 percent of the waste (organics fraction) to boost the agricultural sector.
She stressed that waste treatment presents the most suitable alternative to landfill waste disposal, as the northern region presently generates 183,000 tonnes of waste annually.
The second facility; the Tamale waste water treatment plant, would serve adjoining MMDAs thereby helping to realize the president’s vision of making Ghana clean and also contributing to the attainment of the Sustainment Development Goals (SDGs) on sanitation and climate action.
