Drivers, residents along Somanya-Kpong road struggle with air pollution due to construction works
Residents and shop owners along the Somanya-Kpong and Somanya-Asitey roads in the Yilo Krobo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipalities of the Eastern Region have expressed concern that they were exposed to health hazards following the generation of dust as a result of rehabilitation works being undertaken on the road.
They have called on the government to prevail on the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), to ensure that the contractor working on the road executed the project such that it did not affect their health.
The affected persons in separate interviews with GhanaWeb’s Eastern Regional Correspondent, Michael Oberteye called on the contractor working on the road to expedite works and also water the road daily to reduce the volume of dust.
The absence of the rains has worsened the plight of the people.
According to them, it was imperative that serious action be taken to avert possible respiration problems among the residents living along the stretches.
Reconstruction of the 11-kilometre Somanya-Kpong road linking the Yilo Krobo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipalities being undertaken by Generals Construction Limited began in June 2024.
Reconstruction works on the 8-year-old 15.8km facility earlier undertaken in 2016 from Trom through Somanya to Kpong have become necessary following its complete deterioration over the period.
The road asphalted in 2016 at a cost of over GHS 30 million under the previous NDC regime did not stand the test of time resulting in drastic sectional asphalt failures in only two years after works.
Current works will also see the construction of the Somanya roundabout to Asitey road which is also in terrible shape.
Chief Of Suisi-Okwenya in the Manya-Krobo Traditional Area of the Eastern Region, Nene Sakinor Nanor I speaking on the development noted: “It is very unfortunate that these things are happening, the road is close to where people run businesses…it is affecting the businesses, many people have closed their shops because of the dust,” said the traditional area.
He feared that the situation if not addressed promptly could result in many contracting respiratory diseases and urged the government to compel the contractor to speed up works on the project to avert further inconveniences.
A tailor who plies his work at Kodjonya, a suburb of Lower Manya Krobo bemoaned the current situation. He lamented, “It is affecting us a lot, many times when you sew a dress or a shirt, we wash it before giving it to the customer, they’ve been complaining about the dust and it’s really affecting us.”
Another resident who identified herself as Rita, also a seamstress, complained bitterly about the effects of the dust on her work. Appealing to the contractors to speed up work, she said, “The dust is affecting our work because we can’t sew, when you sew you have to wash the dress before giving it back to the customers, and our machines, the dust is affecting our machines, some of our machines are not working well due to the dust.”
The affected residents and motorists are therefore appealing for regular watering on the road and works to be expedited to bring relief to them.
Meanwhile, Billy Brigham Deku, Project Manager at Generals Construction Limited in charge of the two projects when reached for his response said although works were temporarily suspended from the 24th of December, 2024 to 3rd January, 2025 to allow for the Christmas break, the company has since been on site.
He explained that despite the regular watering of the roads to beat down the dust, the long distance between the site and where it draws the water left most parts of the road being watered at longer time intervals.
“The tanker is on the road because you know the way the weather is, before you water and go and fetch another one and come back, where you’ve watered is dry again and we don’t get water close, we get water at Akuse junction, so it’s quite far,” explained Mr. Deku.
Allaying fears that the project may have been abandoned, the Project Manager said works were actively ongoing with the company determined to meet the two-year duration for completion of the project.
Addressing concerns surrounding the slow pace of work, a situation which currently inconveniences road users, he attributed the situation to the Christmas break and assured that works would be expedited to bring relief to the travelling public and residents.
Source: Michael Oberteye, Contributor
