Traders at the plantain section of the Kumasi Racecourse Market have appealed to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for the immediate evacuation of a massive heap of refuse that is threatening public health and crippling their business.
The accumulating garbage at the centre of the bustling market, which primarily serves as a hub for fresh farm produce such as plantain, yam, cassava, cocoyam, tomatoes, and vegetables, has generated a suffocating stench and creating unhygienic conditions for both sellers and patrons.
Many vendors now resort to wearing nose masks throughout the day to cope with the stench, while others report growing health problems linked to the unsanitary environment.
”The challenges are many,” one plantain seller told Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah, adding, “Recently, a fellow trader fell ill and was hospitalised. We struggle to breath, yet this is where we work and eat. Sometimes food drops on the ground and we have to pick it up, exposing us to potential infections.”
In addition to health hazards, traders bemoaned severe economic losses as regular customers avoid the section due to the foul smell and visible waste.
”Buyers pass us by because of the garbage and refuse to buy from us,” another trader stated, highlighting, “From morning until now, I haven’t even been able to eat because of the condition here. We have nowhere else to go.”
Shoppers at the market were also seen covering their noses and mouths while navigating through the affected area.
While the KMA periodically empties the metal garbage container stationed at the site, traders noted that the evacuations are rarely complete. Leftover waste continues to decompose rapidly, attracting fresh dumping and exacerbating the problem.
”Sometimes they come and remove part of it, but they always leave some behind,” a vendor explained, stating, “The remaining waste decomposes, and people continue to add more to it. If the Assembly can clear everything entirely, we will be relieved.”
The traders, therefore, called on the KMA to intervene urgently, clear the refuse completely, and establish a consistent waste management schedule to safeguard public health and restore business activity in the market.
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