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Ghana risks repetition of 1983 bushfires – GNFS
- kencitymediagh
- Jan 25, 2016
- 2 min read
Ghana risks recording a repetition of the unfortunate devastating bushfires of 1983 this year, unless collective action is taken to counteract that threat, the Rural Fire Division of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has warned.
The Deputy Chief Fire Officer in charge of Rural Fires, Mr Edwin Ekow Blankson issued the warning at a Press briefing in Ho during his duty tour of some communities in the Volta Region notorious for bushfires, as part of a nationwide tour.
He would be at Adaklu-Waya, Kpetoe and Anyirwase in the Adaklu, Kpetoe-Ziope and Ho-West Districts respectively, where he is expected to meet chiefs and opinion leaders to sensitize them on how to avert the risk.
Available data on bushfire provided by the Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana National Fire Service revealed that by mid- January 2016 the Region had recorded 24 bushfires compared with 15 of such fires for the whole of the same month in 2014 and eight in 2015.
The total number of bushfires recorded in the Region in 2014 and 2015 stood at 33 each, nine more than the 24 recorded by mid- January this year alone.
Mr Ekow Blankson said the GNFS had implemented several strategies including public education to make people stop the habit of indiscriminate bush burning, but the habit remains unabated.
He said bush burning must be controlled and supervised by bushfire volunteers in the communities.
Mr Blankson said unlike the advanced countries, Ghana lacks the capacity to purchase helicopters at least for now to combat bushfires from the air, hence the need for every citizen to show commitment to dealing with the menace.
The Bushfire Law 229 of 1990, which prescribed a sanction of 2.00 Cedis must be reviewed to make the punishment a real deterrent.
He also called on chiefs and other opinion leaders to desist from begging for the release of culprits arrested for bushfire offences.
Mr Blankson further urged District Assemblies to pass anti-bushfires by-laws and provide one percent of their internally generated revenue as provided by law to support the enforcement of those laws and assist anti-bushfire volunteers.
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