Accra The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has put in place stringent measures to punish individuals who flout its bye-laws to ensure total cleanliness in Accra and its surrounding communities.

The Assembly, in its new Fee Fixing Resolution, said households who gave their refuse to junkies for disposal would be fined GH850.00 in addition to GH200.00 for the refuse collected, totalling G,050.

The Assembly said residents who dumped refuse elsewhere would be fined G000.00 when arrested, Gh30.00 for open defecation, and GH25.00 for urinating at unauthorised places.

On indiscriminate posting of posters on walls, the offenders, such as churches and event organisers, would pay a fine of GH25.00 per poster.

Mr Victor Nequaye Kotey, the Head of AMA Waste Management Dept., disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency during the National Sanitation Day exercise at Abossey Okai on Saturday, in Accra.

He warned residents in the Metropolis to desist from patronising the services of junkies who are noted for dropping their sacks of refuse at obscured places causing environmental hazards.

He advised the public to register with accredited waste management companies for the collection of their wastes.

Mr Kotey appealed to the citizenry to be more proactive to the current unhealthy practices associated with open defecation and dumping of refuse into drains.

This situation, if allowed to go unchecked, can have serious adverse effects on the people since most of the diseases come from the insanitary attitude towards the environment, he said.

Mr Gilbert Ankrah, the Public Relation Officer of AMA, said it was the responsibility of all to make cleanliness a part and parcel of their everyday lives to ensure a healthy environment.

He said the exercise was being undertaken by the AMA to ensure a disease-free environment and appealed to all to participate.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Axim Mr Francis Adarkwa, the Executive Director of Vision World Network, an agriculture-based NGO, says the growing spate of rubber plantations across some regions could have environmental threats if good agricultural and environmental procedures were not followed.

He said: Rubber is the most rapidly expanding tree-crop across the Western and some parts of the Eastern Region. Concerns have been growing among conservationists that switching land use to rubber cultivation can harm soil, water and biodiversity.

Mr Adarkwa told the Ghana News Agency that research indicates that some bird, bat and beetle species were declining by 75 per cent in forests that had been converted to rubber.

Tropical secondary forests are being cleared for rubber plantations, putting endangered birds, primates and other biodiversity at risk, he said.

The research, sponsored by BUSAC, lasted for three months and it was to find the impact of rubber on biodiversity in the Western and some parts of the Eastern regions.

Mr Adarkwa said the Vision World Network focuses on empowering farmers to advocate on issues hindering their livelihood.

He said the situation, if not handled properly, would have dire consequences on biodiversity.

It has been predicted by scientists that by 2024, up to 8.5 million hectares of new rubber plantations will be needed to meet demand, and this could have a catastrophic impact on biodiversity.

He said the tyre industry consumes 70 per cent of all natural rubber grown, and rising demand for vehicle and aeroplane tyres was behind the recent expansion of rubber plantations.

In the Western Region, he noted, most rich areas of biodiversity and critical habitats for endangered wildlife are being destroyed through unplanned and massive expansion of rubber mono-crop.

The mono-cropping system of Ghana Rubber Estate has meant that entire landscapes are usually cleared and wetlands destroyed to make way for rubber plantation. Chemicals used in the plantations also drift into water bodies and pollute flora and fauna, affecting livelihood of farmers and environment.

Mr Adarkwa said: Currently the Ghana Rubber Estate limited has large tracts of rubber plantations with more than 3000 out-growers across the Western and Central regions including some parts of Ashanti Region.

It is against this backdrop that this advocacy action is being carried out to help find solution to this menace to sustain livelihood of farmers, who depend primarily on these species and water bodies for survival.

He said it was critical that farmers and businessmen in rubber plantation adopted mixed cropping (mixing rubber with other trees) and retaining patches of natural vegetation along rivers or in small conservation set-asides, as practiced in Europe to conserve the environment.

Ghana needs a certification standard that is credible … to help develop ways to manage the rubber crop in an environmentally friendly manner, he said

Source: Ghana News Agency

Axim Mr Francis Adarkwa, the Executive Director of Vision World Network, an agriculture-based NGO, says the growing spate of rubber plantations across some regions could have environmental threats if good agricultural and environmental procedures were not followed.

He said: Rubber is the most rapidly expanding tree-crop across the Western and some parts of the Eastern Region. Concerns have been growing among conservationists that switching land use to rubber cultivation can harm soil, water and biodiversity.

Mr Adarkwa told the Ghana News Agency that research indicates that some bird, bat and beetle species were declining by 75 per cent in forests that had been converted to rubber.

Tropical secondary forests are being cleared for rubber plantations, putting endangered birds, primates and other biodiversity at risk, he said.

The research, sponsored by BUSAC, lasted for three months and it was to find the impact of rubber on biodiversity in the Western and some parts of the Eastern regions.

Mr Adarkwa said the Vision World Network focuses on empowering farmers to advocate on issues hindering their livelihood.

He said the situation, if not handled properly, would have dire consequences on biodiversity.

It has been predicted by scientists that by 2024, up to 8.5 million hectares of new rubber plantations will be needed to meet demand, and this could have a catastrophic impact on biodiversity.

He said the tyre industry consumes 70 per cent of all natural rubber grown, and rising demand for vehicle and aeroplane tyres was behind the recent expansion of rubber plantations.

In the Western Region, he noted, most rich areas of biodiversity and critical habitats for endangered wildlife are being destroyed through unplanned and massive expansion of rubber mono-crop.

The mono-cropping system of Ghana Rubber Estate has meant that entire landscapes are usually cleared and wetlands destroyed to make way for rubber plantation. Chemicals used in the plantations also drift into water bodies and pollute flora and fauna, affecting livelihood of farmers and environment.

Mr Adarkwa said: Currently the Ghana Rubber Estate limited has large tracts of rubber plantations with more than 3000 out-growers across the Western and Central regions including some parts of Ashanti Region.

It is against this backdrop that this advocacy action is being carried out to help find solution to this menace to sustain livelihood of farmers, who depend primarily on these species and water bodies for survival.

He said it was critical that farmers and businessmen in rubber plantation adopted mixed cropping (mixing rubber with other trees) and retaining patches of natural vegetation along rivers or in small conservation set-asides, as practiced in Europe to conserve the environment.

Ghana needs a certification standard that is credible … to help develop ways to manage the rubber crop in an environmentally friendly manner, he said

Source: Ghana News Agency

ACCRA– MT Alice, an oil tanker vessel loaded with 1,200 metric-tons of light crude oil, split into two at the Tema Port anchorage on May 24, this year.

The Bahamas registered oil tanker called at Tema Port anchorage May 12 with 13 crew made up of 11 Nigerians and two Ghanaians.

All the 13 crew were rescued by another vessel MT Colled Alice, which was nearby when the incident occurred.

The incident is the first time an oil tanker had split into two halves at any Ghanaian anchorage in either the Tema ot Takoradi Ports.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Punamane, Tema Port Security Manager, told the Ghana News Agency that the cause of the vessel split was yet to be unravelled, adding however that the oil vessel divided into two halves with the stern drifting towards fairway and the harbour entrance of the Tema Port whiles the bowl remained at the same location due to the weight of the anchor.

Within hours, the ship split into two. The stern of the oil vessel drifted away from the bowl. But we were able to pull the stern out of the danger area where it won’t disturb other vessels, he noted.

Lt. Col. Punamane said the Port Authorities, National Petroleum Authority, agents of the vessel and other stakeholders had worked fervently to prevent polluting the water with the oil.

He explained that while authorities had managed to prevent a spillage of the oil, they were doing their best to get the sunk part to float adding that the fuel in the other part was also carefully being transferred to fuel tankers with the help of cannons.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

ACCRA– MT Alice, an oil tanker vessel loaded with 1,200 metric-tons of light crude oil, split into two at the Tema Port anchorage on May 24, this year.

The Bahamas registered oil tanker called at Tema Port anchorage May 12 with 13 crew made up of 11 Nigerians and two Ghanaians.

All the 13 crew were rescued by another vessel MT Colled Alice, which was nearby when the incident occurred.

The incident is the first time an oil tanker had split into two halves at any Ghanaian anchorage in either the Tema ot Takoradi Ports.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Punamane, Tema Port Security Manager, told the Ghana News Agency that the cause of the vessel split was yet to be unravelled, adding however that the oil vessel divided into two halves with the stern drifting towards fairway and the harbour entrance of the Tema Port whiles the bowl remained at the same location due to the weight of the anchor.

Within hours, the ship split into two. The stern of the oil vessel drifted away from the bowl. But we were able to pull the stern out of the danger area where it won’t disturb other vessels, he noted.

Lt. Col. Punamane said the Port Authorities, National Petroleum Authority, agents of the vessel and other stakeholders had worked fervently to prevent polluting the water with the oil.

He explained that while authorities had managed to prevent a spillage of the oil, they were doing their best to get the sunk part to float adding that the fuel in the other part was also carefully being transferred to fuel tankers with the help of cannons.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK