The Municipal Chief Executive of Yilo Krobo, Hon Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor has broken the ground for the construction of a compost and briquette plant to boost agriculture and maintain sanitation in the area.
The sod-cutting event was organized to officially celebrate the ‘launch’ of the CapVal project activities in relation to the construction of the briquette/compost plants in the Yilo Krobo Municipality. Supporting enterprises for urban liquid and solid wastes recycling for food, energy and clean environment [CapVal] project was launched in 2015 to demonstrate that sanitation and waste management can support a circular economy.
The limited availability of sewer systems has led to more than 90% of all urban dwellers in Ghana relying on septic tanks or pit latrines which struggle with appropriate management. Therefore, investment in sanitation is essential.
Dignitaries such as the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon Kwakye Daffour, members of Klotey-Korley Municipal Assembly, Deputy Ambassador [Netherland Embassy] Mrs. Katjar Lesseur, MCE for Yilo Krobo, Hon Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor, Nene Ayerteye Ayiboko chief of Akorley, members of International Water Management Institution, management of Jekora Ventures Limited [plant operator] and other invited guests graced the occasion.
Hon Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor in his speech said, waste disposal has been a major challenged in Yilo Krobo and the Assembly. It constitutes 23 percent of waste problem the assembly is facing. The assembly tried finding a suitable place in Akuse for the the disposal of waste but the place was abandoned as the people of Akuse did agree for the assembly to dispose the waste there he added.
This project was agreed in 2015, financed by Netherlands Enterprise Agency and supported by International Water Management Institute in order to reduce waste disposal and to recycle it for compost manure for farming. The fertilizer plant will produce organic manure from the waste products in order to boost farming in the municipality and agriculture as a whole.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon Kwakye Daffour in his speech thanked the Netherland Embassy and the International Waste Management and the Yilo Krobo Assembly for this partnership in constructing a compost briquette here in Yilo Krobo Municipality. This project will help boost farmers and also it is going to create local job opportunity for the people of Yilo Krobo.
The compost facility will annually transform 5,000 m3 of fecal sludge and 300 tons of organic solid waste into 200 tons of safe compost. The briquette plant in Yilo Krobo will convert organic waste [sawdust, rice husk, food waste] into 1,000 tons/year of low-cost fuel for use by household and institutions. The third enterprise is dedicated to fish production [aquaculture] with treated wastewater from domestic origin at the Chirapatre wastewater treatment plant in Kumasi.
Sylvester Tetteh/ritefmonline.org
