DISASTER LOOMS AT EUROPEAN TOWN (PAGE 30)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo

Disaster looms at the fish landing beach at European Town, a suburb of Sekondi in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolis, as a result of the very poor environmental conditions prevailing at the beach.
The problem is such that any epidemic outbreak there is likely to be catastrophic due to the level of unhygienic environmental situation at the beach.
Since the area is a fish landing beach, the wholesomeness of fish which is landed there is also threatened.
Waste water from the nearby makeshift wooden houses, kiosks and the European Town community, which is expected to enter the sea, has stagnated at the beach.
Also, the beach is littered with refuse, which attracts scavengers such as vultures, while a number of fishing boats, including disused old boats, are littered all over the place.
An unplanned mini market and drinking spots made from wooden structures have sprung up there and worsened the congestion at the beach.
Some fishmongers have also put up wooden structures at the beach to smoke  fish in, while others have turned the area into their permanent residence.
Some fishermen mend their fishing nets, while others repair their damaged fishing boats in the midst of the dirt.
The environment at the landing beach is polluted to such an extent that if the appropriate solution is not found anytime soon very serious environmental problems could develop at the beach.
The poor environmental condition is a sharp contrast between the Albert Bosomtwe Sam Fishing Harbour, which is adjacent to the landing beach.
When contacted, the Deputy Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, Mr Abdul Karim Hudu, told the Daily Graphic that they had been working with the GPHA to clean the beach.
He said there was a time when the metro environmental health office and the GPHA cut all disused boats into pieces to help clean the beach.
Mr Hudu said people dumped refuse and human excreta into the sea in the night, for the waves to bring them back to the shore.
Also, he said, fishermen buried old fishing nets at the beach.
Mr Hudu said there was a time when the Waste Management Department of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) had to send a big waste container to the beach to collect refuse.
He blamed the attitude of the people in the area for the mess, adding: “We need attitudinal change from people in  the community”.
“The people should help us to arrest those who pollute the environment,” he said.