By: ADMIN|Voltaonlinegh.com|
Residents of Asutsuare in the Shai Osudoku District have called government to impress upon managers of a Chinese manufacturing company, Shinefeel Company Ghana Limited to find an alternative means of discharging wastewater from their activities; threatening to take the law into their own hands should nothing be done about their issue.
The residents complained they had made several attempts to stop the company from polluting their water source but it failed to heed their calls.
The aggrieved residents are accusing the company of discharging its wastewater into their (residents’) canals used for irrigating their rice and vegetables farms.
According to them, the Shinefeel Company Ghana Limited which recycles papers to produce toilet paper and egg holder and also produces paint and plastic products, channels its wastewater  through the canal, describing it as a worrying situation.
Regional Correspondent of Metro TV and Best Health Reporter at the just ended Volta Journalists Awards, Christian Ahodie spoke to the aggrieved farmers including women who said they “experience itching and skin rashes” whenever they came into contact with the water which they suspected was as a result of the wastewater from the company that was being directed into the canal.
According to a resident, Narteh Patience, they “use the water for washing but after using the water, your skin turns white and itches. We are seriously affected and we want the company to put a stop to discharging their wastewater into the canal.”
However, the company maintained that its wastewater being discharged “is safe”, suspecting the development to be someone or a group instigating the community against them.
The Corporate Affairs Manager of Shinefeel Company Ghana Limited, Simon Adom disagreed with the suspicions of the residents. He said though their treatment plant breaks down occasionally, “the company treats the waste water before it is discharged and cannot be harmful to human health.”
Regarding the complaints of skin itching by the people, he said that could be resulting from the use of some agro chemicals and advised the famers to seek medical attention.
An Environmental Health Officer, Asutsuare Council, Julius Totime assured that “there are periodic inspections” on the activities of Shinefeel Company Ghana Limited after the company had come under serious accusations few months ago when tonnes of fishes died in the Volta lake.
The Environmental Officer noted that though fears were that the deaths were as a result of the company’s activities, test results by the Environmental Protection Agency did not find any link to the company.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
