Unless drastic actions are taken, the BBC area of Community Two in the Tema West Constituency in Accra, stands the risk of a major disaster from a collapsed independence-era cesspit seeping raw sewage into homes.
The failure of the outdated sewage system and a broken pumping station has caused pipelines to become choked with faecal matter, resulting in the break and a horrid stench in the area.
Municipal NADMO Director for Tema West, Michael Donlawerh, explained the root of the crisis, attributing part of the problem to unauthorized construction.
He revealed that many homes in the area were built directly on top of the sewage system thereby, worsening the blockage and overflow.
“People have built houses directly on top of the chambers. Now that the system is choked, smelly liquid waste is oozing into their homes,” Donlawerh stated.
Residents of the BBC area have been suffering through these alarming conditions for years, with some reporting sewage invading their living spaces.
“It’s unbearable. Our health is at risk, and the smell is overwhelming. We desperately need help,” one resident lamented.
The sewage, coupled with heavy rains, often floods homes, exacerbating the health risks. Another resident shared the grim reality:
“When the floodwaters dry out, maggots from the faecal matter invade our rooms, creating an extremely unhealthy situation for us.”
According to Donlawerh, the scale of the issue is far beyond what the local assembly could manage alone.
He stressed that the sewage crisis requires a capital-intensive solution, making it impossible for the local government to resolve without external support.
“Fixing this issue is capital intensive, and the assembly alone cannot manage this. If drastic action is not taken within the next two or three years, we might need to evacuate BBC because the situation will become unbearable. We’re seeing condoms, plastic bags, and all kinds of waste floating around,” Donlawerh lamented.
The Municipal NADMO Director also expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from residents.
He cited a recent incident where a new building was being constructed on a sewage line, despite clear warnings to stop.
“When we came last time, someone was building a fresh structure on the sewage line. I personally marked the area and told them to stop. But when we returned, they were still building, and the residents were just watching indifferently,” he said.
In addition to the poor construction practices, residents revealed another critical issue: the mainline to the pumping station has been stolen by scrap dealers, preventing waste from reaching the station.
“The mainline to the pumping station, which was made of iron and built during Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s time, has been stolen. Now the waste can’t reach the pumping station,” a resident disclosed.
Furthermore, the population growth in the BBC area has outpaced the capacity of the outdated sewage system. One resident suggested an upgrade:
“We need to replace the main lines with 12-inch pipes instead of the current 8 inches. The inner pipes should also be upgraded from 6 inches to 8 inches. This would help manage the current load.”
The residents are now making an urgent appeal to the government to renovate the sewage system and fix the pumping station.
“Unless the system and pumping station are fixed, the liquid waste will continue to flood our homes,” a resident pleaded.
Despite their best efforts, including contributing funds to remove refuse from the mainline, the community acknowledges that their efforts will be futile without a complete overhaul of the system.
“The system is old, and until the main pipelines are fixed, this problem won’t go away,” another resident said and warned that in the next three years the area would have to be abandoned.
The health and well-being of the BBC community remain at serious risk as the sewage continues to invade homes.
Both residents and officials alike are pleading for swift government intervention to address the issue before it escalates into a full-scale health disaster.
