More than 100 residents of the Krachi East Municipality in the Oti Region have been prosecuted by the Regional Environmental and Sanitation Taskforce for breaching sanitation bylaws.
The offenders appeared before the Dambai District Magistrate Court on charges including indiscriminate dumping of refuse, poor sanitation practices, and defecation in unauthorized areas.
The crackdown follows a sharp rise in typhoid fever cases, with the Oti Region recording over 23,000 infections in the first half of 2025, largely linked to unsanitary conditions and contaminated water sources.
Regional Environmental Health Prosecutor, Patrick K. Gbafa, explained that the prosecutions were aimed at protecting public health. “These measures are not punitive for the sake of punishment,” he said. “They are meant to deter potential polluters and safeguard the community.”
Some offenders were fined between GH¢600 and GH¢840.44, while landlords without toilet facilities were ordered to provide them within three months or risk prosecution.
The presiding judge, His Worship Alhassan Dramani, urged residents to take sanitation seriously, citing his personal experience with typhoid as a warning.
Meanwhile, the Oti Regional Coordinating Council has introduced a comprehensive environmental health and sanitation plan for adoption by all districts. Assembly member for Dambai Central, Charles Awuranyi, commended the taskforce’s efforts, stressing that strict enforcement would encourage better hygiene practices across the municipality.
