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Government Mobilizes Military, Heavy Equipment for Historic Korle Lagoon Cleanup

In a major move to tackle decades of environmental degradation, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has announced a comprehensive action plan to relocate the massive waste accumulated at the Korle Lagoon enclave.

Date Created : 9/3/2026 : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com

Following an on-site tour to assess the scale of the pollution, Minister Ayariga revealed that an inter-ministerial task force has been established to oversee the massive cleanup operation. The team includes representatives from the Ministries of Local Government, Finance, Environment, Defence, and Roads and Highways.

“We are going to mobilize national capacity to deal with this challenge,” Minister Ayariga stated. He confirmed that the military will be deployed to assist in relocating the waste to the Adepa Waste Management Center in Nsawam.

The Minister outlined a significant logistical mobilization to achieve the cleanup. He detailed that the government will deploy more than 100 trucks and no fewer than 16 excavators currently owned by the state. Additionally, private contractors from the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Central regions have been invited to contribute their equipment, particularly over the weekends, to accelerate the process.

Crucially, Ayariga addressed the future of the human settlements surrounding the lagoon. While the primary focus is on removing the toxic waste that has accumulated over decades, he stressed that the government is committed to a broader redevelopment plan.

“If we do that and finish, and maintain this community, we will have a problem because they will keep dumping,” the Minister warned. “We will redevelop this area. When I say redevelop, I don't mean we will evict the people. We will re-develop it by taking some space there and then developing the area properly.”

The redevelopment strategy aims to prevent future environmental abuse and ensure that residents living within the radius of the dump site are not mass-displaced but rather integrated into a newly structured community. The Ministry is currently working to finalize timelines and logistics with the Ministry of Finance and other agencies to ensure the operation proceeds without delay.