The Ghana Progressive Hotels Association (GHAPROHA) is demanding that the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to as a matter of urgency rehabilitate of Tema central sewerage system or face a legal suit.
A member of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), the Association says the Tema Central Sewerage System has not seen any major rehabilitation works for more than 18 years, which is impacting negatively on their businesses.
“The situation is greatly affecting the hospitality industry in Tema as many restaurants and hotels are losing business and spending a lot of money to repair the portions of these sewer lines.
“Restaurants and hotels have become helpless as we are unable to maintain the required food safety and hygienic standards in an environment where raw faecal matter flows uncontrollably into kitchens, restaurants and hotel rooms,” the Association said in a statement.
They say the wear and tear have caused damage to pipes and roots of trees close to sewer lines have also compounded the situation causing breakages along portions of the pipelines and manholes.
“This has led to massive siltation of sewer lines and the invasion of the system by rodents and other creatures. Oil deposits from factories, garages and the disposal of solid waste materials such as rags and tampons from households are choking the sewer lines rendering them ineffective,” GHAPROHA said.
They say although the TMA has on countless occasions given the assurance of rehabilitating the sewer lines, nothing has been done, worsening the situation.
GHAPROHA is worried that a lot of money is spent annually by the industry to hire the services of artisans and environmental officers to undertake diverse activities such as routine ridding of choked pipes, desilting choked drains and sealing of leaking sewer pipes and broken manholes, but all comes to nought.
“All aimed at mitigating the impact of the problem. The direct stench from the sewer lines and poor sanitary conditions have drastically lowered the occupancy rate of hotels and restaurants in Tema. It has fallen from an estimated national average of 60 per cent to 40 per cent over the last five,” they said.
They said in December last year, the TMA assured them that work will start, but nothing has been done and the situation is deteriorating.
The Association said it will take legal action against the Assembly if the problem is not solved by April.
