PREVENTION OF POOR SANITATION ALONG THE BEACH

While many parts of the world are improving sanitation in their achievement in sustainable environment practices, Ghana is still struggling with basic environment challenges such as poor sanitary conditions of our beaches. Talking about sanitation along the beach and sanitation at large is no new thing to Ghanaians. This article seeks to remind Ghanaians on what we need to do to prevent poor sanitation along the beach because, day in and out,  number of measures are being put in place to maintain good sanitation in the country.

 Over 20 percent of the population still lack access to toilets and rubbish dumps which has resulted in people openly defecating along the beaches and using the beaches and shore as rubbish dumps. These are as a result of not having toilet and proper waste disposal managements in their homes. Therefore, the government must help beach dwellers because they are forced to use the beaches as place of convenient and rubbish dumps. But then, landlords are also expected to provide toilets and proper waste disposals for their households and tenants. Again, landlords and households should team up with the waste collectors (zoom lions) to get rubbish bins so that their wastes will be properly managed.

public toilet

household toilet

Massive and thorough education must be done to create awareness and inform Ghanaians especially beach dwellers. They need to be educated on the need to practice good sanitary conditions along the beaches and the repercussions involved. As the saying goes, “when persuasion fails, force is applied”. This brings in mind the introduction of law enforcement for the education to materialize the education given on sanitation to the betterment of all. Offenders must be fined and prosecuted to deter others from doing same.

Avoid dumping of waste along the beach

Finally, Ghanaians especially, beach dwellers should have a change of attitudes towards the way they pollute the beaches if not, no amount of facilities provided with our own taxes will benefit us. The zoil are doing their possible best to keep our beaches clean but all to no avail. The best solution to this, is to help stop pollute the beaches and not only pay attention to sanitation  in our homes..

Dustbins for household

proper waste disposal

In conclusion, Ghanaians especially beach dwellers owe it to us, our children, and future generations to change our mindset and practices that pollutes our beaches. Cleanliness as they say is next to Godliness, therefore it pays to maintain a clean beach environment.

EFFECTS OF POOR SANITATION ALONG THE BEACH

Lately much concern is given to the poor sanitary conditions of the cities, towns and homes leaving the sanitary condition of the beaches unattended to. Many sanitary conditions of our beaches are eyesores and a big shame as such.  Talking about the poor sanitation and dirt in Accra and Ghana at large is tantamount to talking about the poor sanitation of our beaches.“Charity they say begins at home”, if people can keep their homes clean,there wouldn't be any evolving Ghanaian drop-as you-go attitude that will lead to the high level of dirt in the beaches.We seem to lose our sense of virtue of keeping our beaches clean as we litter our beaches without a wince. The sense of community and self- help spirit has given way to an I- don’t care spirit. I keep asking myself if these people have ever once in their life considered the effects of poor sanitation along the beach? Sanitation goes with health and happiness and it is most at times associated with health hazards and we have heard a lot about on different occasions. Therefore, this article tends to remind Ghanaians about the effects of poor sanitation along the beach

First and foremost, poor sanitation along the beach pollutes the environment and atmosphere and this inevitably leads to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid malaria and other perilous diseases which have claimed many precious lives of the past and still claiming the lives of many poor children and adults. And this goes along way to retard economic development since a lot of money is wasted by the government in treating these diseases yearly and I think we are paying dearly for our behavioural constraints.

 

Rubbish deposited along the coast leads to the outbreak of diseases

Another great effect of poor sanitation along the beach is loss of revenue to the state.  If Ghana wants to attract investors, world class brains, tourists, host international programmes and events then our beaches should be kept clean. One will ask what this has got to do with tourists, investors and the like. Tourism and the likes have a competitive advantage and a huge source of revenue which can be accrued from all beaches and not only Labadi beach and other few clean beaches in Accra and Ghana at large. Do you think a tourist will like to be at bola beach or James town beach when these beaches do not meet one of the essential catalysts- environmental cleanliness? Definitely, no. this has made so many beaches no go areas which could have be a good source of revenue to the state. But rather huge money is given out to organizations such as Zoom lion and Zoil to keep these places clean with no benefit to the state hence causing financial loss to the state.

Low patronage of beaches due to poor sanitary condition

Dirty beaches does not attract tourists

Finally, much of the liquid wastes deposited in the sea contain poisonous substances hence causing harm to the aquatic animals. Beach is not all about swimming and relaxing,on the other hand, some beaches are used for fishing expeditions such as the Jamestown beach. Therefore when these harmful liquid wastes get into the sea, it tends to make it dangerous for one to feed on the fishes from that sea. In addition to this,poisonous liquid wastes in the sea sometimes result in the death of fishes and other animals in the sea. A typical example is the recent incident at Jomoro district where a mysterious creature appeared on Asanta beach resulting in a disturbing stench which to pollutedthe atmosphere and a health threat to the residents along that beach and neighbouring towns.

Fish obtained from polluted sea is harmful to our health

In conclusion, as the saying goes “cleanliness is next to godliness” our beaches must be given good sanitation for a good health, accrue revenue to the state and attract tourists for economic development in the country to the betterment of all citizens. Ghanaians must revive the spirit of self- help since the government cannot clean all beaches in Accra and Ghana as a whole.

MAJOR CAUSES OF POOR SANITATION ALONG THE BEACH

 Taking a walk along the beach, relaxing or playing at the beach can be a real treat on a hot day. According to J.Aaron Hipp, the beach offers restorative benefits to the individual.  But then, how will one feel when one gets to the beach and finds the place uncomfortably dirty? It is really disturbing and the level of pollutioncan put one off from staying longer at that beach.

There are many causes of poor sanitation along the beach and I am more concerned about the various human activities that seek to tarnish the image of many beautiful beaches.values.I get extremely sad at the way we continue to deal with the situation of beach sanitation and its related problems. Defecating and throwing of rubbish and animals roaming about along the beach,I consider as the major causes of poor sanitation along the beach.

Most residents along the beach such as Bola beach and Jamestown beach lack public and household toilet facilities and the ones available are just few. It has therefore, become so common to see people using the beaches as a” place of convenience” which is not a good habit at all. A visit to the Gold Coast beach(bola beach) and the Jamestown beach as my target areas for my article revealed a very unpleasant sight of people of different ages and sex ona defecation spree and this reflects other beaches in Accra and in Ghana at large. Another scene took place as I tried to get information at Jamestown beach, a Good Samaritan cautioned me at the shore to be very careful before I step on faeces. This has made walking along some beaches a challenge, one has to watch out not to step on human faeces that are scatted all the over the place. Instead of one feeling a wonderful breeze at the beach rather, one is welcomed with a sharp stench; I call it “mixed feelings”. The disheartening part of this barbaric act is that, defecating along the beach is now open to the full glare of the public with boldness and comfort. Also, others defecate along the beach out of sheer stubbornness with flimsy excuses such as they cannot afford to pay a dime to use the toilet, to escape from bad odour, to avoid joining long queues and so forth which I deem it not tangible.

some residents defecating along the beach.

To the best of my knowledge, I will sincerely say the La Pleasure beach is the outstanding beach resort holding fast to its impeccable image as the leading pleasure resort in Accra and in Ghana at large. What do we see along other beaches? Many of the Accra beaches have lost their value centres of pleasure to filth. Some of the beaches such as Bola beach, Jamestown beach and Lavender hill serve as sites for dumping rubbish giving uncontrollable stench. The foul smell fills the air, making passers- by hold their nose. It is now common to find haphazard disposal of solid and liquid waste along beaches. A walk along Bola beach and Jamestown beach present a filthy environment of the beach, previously sandy, today covered with broken bottles, empty water sachet, poly bags,which sometimes contain human faeces and rotten items. The same people who pollute the beaches want good and healthy life yet forgetting their actions are the main causes of the outbreak of cholera, diarrhoea, and other death-defying diseases in Accra and other parts of the country.

liquid waste 

solid waste disposed in the sea

some residents disposing liquid waste into the sea.

Due to the rubbish dumped along the beach, it has paved way for animals to roam about the beach especially during the day. Cattles and other domestic animals are persistently seen munching their way through the rubbish to get something to feed on. These animals seen roaming about the beach is not the best and does not portray the atmospheric beauty of the beach and this can only be solved by avoiding the dumping of rubbish along the beaches. Attempts at improving the sanitation of dirty beaches in Accra and Ghana at large has failed mainly due to the inadequate infrastructure for waste management, inefficient waste management systems in place and the enormous volume of solid waste generated. It is therefore our civic responsibilities to maintain a good and healthy sanitation along the beach for a better Ghana now and forever.

Animal roaming about in search of food in the rubbish dumped along the beach