NewzThe government is deploying drones and artificial intelligence to determine the volume of waste accumulated at Agbogbloshie as it prepares for a major operation to clear the decades-old heap from the heart of Accra. The exercise is expected to involve hundreds of trucks, heavy-duty equipment and personnel drawn from several institutions. Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Mahama Ayariga said the waste mountain had reached such an alarming scale that its removal had become a national priority.
He disclosed that he had visited the site three times within his first week in office and, during his latest visit, climbed to the top of the heap, which he estimated to be about the height of a 10-storey building. According to Mr Ayariga, President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministries of Local Government, Finance, Roads and Highways, and Defence to jointly develop a comprehensive plan for the evacuation. The government is mobilising the Ghana Armed Forces, Jospong Group, private contractors and dump trucks from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, while technical teams use drones and AI to map the site and determine the logistical requirements.
The Minister said the waste would be transported to an engineered landfill site off the Nsawam Road, with authorities considering a 24-hour operation subject to final arrangements and presidential approval. He acknowledged that the movement of large numbers of trucks could temporarily disrupt traffic, but urged Ghanaians to accept the inconvenience, stressing: “Let all of us be inconvenienced by the problem, and if we are all sufficiently inconvenienced by the problem, the danger of reverting to the problem will be minimised.” Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has vowed to lead a major operation to evacuate the massive heap of waste at Agbogbloshie completely.
He described the decades-old accumulation as a national emergency that must be tackled immediately. Mr Ayariga said the sheer scale of the waste had compelled him to make its removal one of his major priorities since assuming office, revealing that he had visited the Agbogbloshie site three times within his first week as the new sector minister. The Minister was speaking at the official launch of the second ecumenical convention in Accra, on the theme, “United in Christ, transforming society through creation care.” Mr Ayariga said during his latest visit, he climbed to the top of the heap and was struck by the extent of the accumulation, which he estimated to be as high as a 10-storey building, reinforcing his determination to ensure that the waste was removed from the heart of Accra.
He disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama had directed the Ministries of Local Government, Finance, Roads and Highways, and Defence to work together to develop a comprehensive plan for the evacuation of the entire waste heap. He stated that the government had already begun mobilising the resources required for the operation, including the Ghana Armed Forces, Jospong Group and private contractors. “The exercise would require substantial logistical resources because of the volume of waste involved and the need to move it safely to an appropriate disposal facility,” he added.
Mr Ayariga said technical teams had therefore been tasked with determining the exact volume of waste at the site, and that the assessment would involve the use of drones and artificial intelligence to map and estimate the size of the heap, enabling the government to determine the number of trucks, heavy-duty equipment, personnel and other resources required. The Minister explained that the government had about 200 dump trucks distributed across the country and had directed Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, to release available trucks, the necessary operators and drivers to support the evacuation. He said the scale of the exercise required a coordinated national effort, rather than leaving the responsibility solely to the local authority within whose jurisdiction Agbogbloshie falls.
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