Save the Kpeshie Lagoon

By Augustina Brown

The Kpeshie Lagoon

In the outskirt of Ghana’s capital city is a town called La, which most people call “Labadi”, a beautiful town which has beautiful and attractive hotels, beach resorts, a trade fair centre, schools, well tiled roads and a number of projects which would are yet to be constructed. The town has a population of 387,013 according to 2000 Population and Housing Census.  


The major economic activities in the District are fishing, carpentry especially in the Teshie community and commercial transportation. 

In this town is the Kpeshie District which covers the La, Teshie and Nungua townships in Accra.  Other areas are Cantonments, Burma Camp, Airport, Spintex road and Maritime Academy.

Again, this District has a lagoon called the KPESHIE LAGOON which covers a relatively small catchment area of 110km². It is bounded on the east by the Military Academy at Teshie, on the North by a line south of Madina and Ajirignano. It also covers the eastern part of Accra, Ridge, Cantonments, Osu, La and Burma Camp areas.

This town has all the above few listed beautiful things, but one major problem of the people of La is the inability to take care of the only lagoon that provides them with food and job. It is so surprising that this lagoon which helps the people of La economically is not well taken care of.

Residents in and around the Kpeshie lagoon, have developed the habit of dumping human excreta and solid wastes into the lagoon. This practice has negative implication on the aquatic life of the lagoon as well as on migratory birds that find a haven within the environs of the lagoon.

Again the impact this will have on the plantation within the catchment area of the lagoon cannot be over emphasized. The lagoon is filled with waste products and it stinks so much that it will have a greater effect on the individual. 


The whole situation about activities done in and around the Kpeshie Lagoon is so appalling but it seems there is no support to stop these practices.

Why must we find most of our water bodies which provides us with food, heavily chocked with refuse and other human excreta? What do we gain from polluting our own rivers, lakes, lagoons and even the sea? What is the purpose of these water bodies to us and why must we preserve them?

A view of the lagoon reveals the dire degradation the lagoon had to suffer over the years, with unauthorized structures which were demolished recently, and farms springing up on the reclaimed land as well as the refuse dump sited on it. 


Also, the road on the bank of the lagoon which is under-construction is filled with red soil and this makes the whole place muddy and filled with flood during a downpour.

Another activity going on is that the bank of the lagoon has been turned into a fitting shop with dirty water, detergents and engine oil from cars flowing directly into the stream, resulting in the pollution of the Kpeshie lagoon.

The lagoon is currently heavily silted and polluted with solid waste such as domestic refuse and discarded solid materials such as those from commercial, industrial and agricultural operations. 


However, in the past it served as a major fishing ground for the local fishermen.

Somewhere in 2007, the Lagoon was reported to be degrading rapidly and some portions its mangrove were being reclaimed by some encroachers for residential and business development purposes. 


The practice of dumping refuse and solid waste substances started somewhere in 2005 during the rehabilitation of the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium and the construction of the Presidential Palace where contractors found it convenient to dump debris into the lagoon.

Although solid wastes can be properly treated before disposal, solid waste problems arise from rapid increase of human population, rapid advance in technology and social attitudes.

We must all know that solid waste pose a serious threat because the leach from it remain in place for a relatively longer period of time unless removed, burnt or otherwise destroyed. 


The disposal of solid waste in open dumps and burning of such solid waste is the most common solid waste disposal method in Ghana but this must not be the best thing to do.

I believe strongly that these activities done in most of our water bodies began after the introduction of the "Pay as you dump" refuse system by our Assemblies. 


Can everybody afford for the money taken before refuse is dumped? Though the money taken is seen as moderate for everyone, can everyone afford to pay every day? What then should be the best way to ensure that residents in and around the Kpeshie Lagoon do the right thing at the right time and at the right place?

Ghanaians must understand that, the money taken from them, are used in paying those who have taken responsibility in collecting and burning our refuse or wastes. 


If money is not taken from them, how can those workers be paid and motivated to continue with their job? How would those people take care of themselves as well as their family?

The best thing to stop the practice of dumping refuse and wastes into the Kpeshie lagoon which serves as a source of water and food to the people of La and its environs is by Chiefs, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Town and Country Planning Department providing the town with waste bins. 


These waste bins must be enough to enable everyone have the chance of dumping refuse and also making sure that these waste bins are emptied at least every two days.

By so doing, the Kpeshie Lagoon would be saved from waste and it will maintain its natural state. 


Also, a law must be passed to fine or arrest anyone who dumps refuse into any water bodies found in the country. This law must be strictly adhered to.

Let us all try our possible best to save our water bodies; they are very important to us.