Ghana’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on Friday shut down Dukes Petroleum’s filling station at Kasoa Second Bus Stop in the Central Region over sanitation concerns.
The EPA said a blocked drain in front of the filling station was contributing to flooding along the highway. The issue was identified during a nationwide clean-up exercise on July 10.
The exercise follows recent flooding in parts of Ghana that killed more than 30 people and displaced over 38,000 others in the Greater Accra and Central regions.
Kasoa Area Head of the EPA, Abbas Dawood, said the clogged drains caused water to overflow onto the main road during heavy rainfall, posing a risk to motorists and pedestrians.
He said inspectors found the fuel station operating despite the poor sanitary conditions around the premises.
Following the inspection, the Kasoa Municipal Assembly ordered the immediate closure of the station until the drains are desilted and all sanitation concerns have been addressed.
Dawood said the EPA and the Assembly would continue enforcing environmental regulations to ensure businesses comply with sanitation standards and help reduce the risk of flooding.
“We assessed the area and found that the drains were choked, causing water to overflow onto the road,” Dawood said.
“We want residents, shops and businesses to take responsibility for environmental sanitation to help reduce flooding in Kasoa.”
He said authorities would also close other businesses that fail to desilt drains in front of their premises.
“This is necessary, and we will meet with the management to discuss the way forward,” he said.
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