ACCRA TO PHASE OUT THE USE OF PAN LATRINES

By the end of June this year, the use of pan latrines will be completely eliminated in the national capital, Accra, the Mayor of Accra, Mr Alfred Okoi Vanderpuji, has said.

He said by the end of December last year, 12,000 toilet facilities had been constructed in Accra  and in the process,the assembly had been successful in reducing the use of pan latrines from 7000 to less than 200.
The Mayor,accompanied by some members of the assembly, made this known when he inspected some project sites in Accra.

The project sites included the Lavender Hill project and the construction of the Millennium City Schools.
At the Lavender Hill, the Mayor expressed satisfaction at the extent of work done and encouraged the contractors to speed up work on the project.

“This is going to help dispose off waste and keep a cleaner ocean for a cleaner environment,” he added.
The Lavender Hill Project sought to solve the sewerage problems in Accra. It is being financed by the African Development Bank and the Government of Ghana.

Six anaerobic digesters would be built at the Lavender Hill to treat the waste into organic waste.
The digesters, which are only marginally effective, would help to treat problems such as odours, pathogens and greenhouse gas emissions from animal waste or sewerage.

It would also be used to transform sewerage treatment plants and animal waste on farms into manure, while the liquid waste would be used for fish farming and irrigation purpose.

The Chief Executive Officer of Slamson Ghana Limited, Mr Fredrik Sunesson, who is the engineer on the project, explained that the digesters would operate under a 24 hour cycle, using less energy.

“Less than two gallons of diesel is to be used a day to keep the digesters running, hence it is extremely energy efficient,” he said.

Work was, however, 70 per cent complete during the visit to some of the millennium city schools under construction.

The include the Salvation Army Cluster of Schools, now the President Evans Atta Mills Educational Centre of Excellence, Dansoman 1 and 2 Primary School and the Kotobabi Cluster of Schools.

Mr Vanderpujie , however, urged them to speed up work in order to complete the school building by the close of the month.

“We want to be able to accommodate the rest of the children in these classrooms by the first week of April in order to put a total end to the shift system,” he said.