Upper West Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service has launched Anti- bushfire campaign in the region with a called on Municipal and District Assemblies to institute Bushfire Sub-committees at the district levels to regulate the burning of vegetation in the communities.
The Regional Commander of the fire service, Assistant Chief Fire Officer ACFO Nathaniel Gaddiel Ebonyi-Amoah who made the call said many people set fire to vegetation without caring about its negative impact to human health, livelihoods and the environment.
ACFO Ebonyi-Amoah said this at the official launch of 2018/2019 anti-bushfire campaign and inauguration ceremony of Baayiri/Kataa Fire Volunteer Squads in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region.
As part of measures to fight indiscriminate bush fire, two hundred and fifteen people from the Baayiri/Kataa communities in Wa East District have been trained and provided with tools to support the fight against the bush fire.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer ACFO, Ebonyi-Amoah spelt said the PNDC law 229 of 1990 regulates how people should set fire to bushes.
He said section 5 of the law also mandates MMDAs to form bush fire control sub-committees to monitor such activities.
However, the Upper West Region is yet to see one district assembly fulfilling this regulation.
ACFO Ebonyi-Amoah therefore urged Municipal, District Chief Executives and Assembly Members in the region to fulfill the requirement at their various districts assemblies to protect the environment and lives for generations.
The Upper West Regional Director of Environmental Protection Agency EPA Mrs. Zenabu Wasai-king,said the menace of bush fire has posed a huge challenge to the sustainability of project interventions aimed at promoting biodiversity conservation in the region.
She added that resources committed into tree planting are wasted due to indiscriminate bush fires.
She noted that the phenomenon does not only affect the biodiversity in the region but it also it lowers the productivity of the soil and destroy farm produce thereby exposing the region to food insecurity.
The EPA Director called for strict enforcement of bye-laws by Traditional Rulers against bushfire
The launch was attended by head of departments ands partners including the NADMO, Forestry Commission , Chiefs and people of the area with support from the EPA.
Story by Dennis Bebane
