Amid the increasing incidents of flooding in Accra and their devastating consequences, including the loss of lives and property, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has designated the June edition of the National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise, scheduled for Saturday, June 6, as “Operation Free Choked Gutters.”

This comes shortly after a building caved in on some individuals including a mother of two who lost her life while trying to save her children at Adenta following a heavy downpour on Wednesday June 3.

Consequently, the usual monthly routine of general cleaning at the market center is set to focus on distilling gutters this Saturday.

“The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) wishes to inform the general public that the June edition of the National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, with activities focusing on the desilting of drains, sweeping public spaces and evacuation of refuse.

The exercise dubbed "Operation free choked drains" will take place across all sub-metros, electoral areas, markets, lorry parks, communities, business districts and other public spaces within the metropolis as part of the Assembly's sustained efforts to improve environmental sanitation, protect public health, prevent flooding and promote collective responsibility for keeping Accra clean, especially as the rainy season intensifies’” the Authority said in a formal statement issued on Thursday, June 4.

To ensure compliance and participation among traders,

“no trading activity will be permitted during the clean-up period. All shops, stalls, table-top businesses and hawking activities are expected to remain suspended until the exercise is completed”.

Activities of the day

AMA indicated that “Activities to be carried out during the exercise will include desilting and clearing of drains, removal of refuse from market areas and public spaces, clearing of choked waterways, sweeping of streets, clearing of road curbs and general cleaning of communities, markets, streets, lanes and drains”’ linking poor sanitation practices to free flow of water which leads to these fatal flooding in the Metropolis.

“The AMA notes that choked drains, silted gutters, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and other poor sanitation practices continue to obstruct the free flow of water during rainfall, contributing to flooding in parts of the metropolis, hence the focus on desilting drains and clearing waterways”, the statement added.

All are invited to partake in the exercise

AMA extended an invitation to all stakeholders including

“residents, traders, shop owners, transport operators, food vendors, corporate institutions, organisations, NGOs, religious bodies, youth groups, community-based organisations and other stakeholders come out in their numbers and actively participate in the exercise, while ensuring that their immediate surroundings are kept clean”.

Penalty for non-compliance

The AMA wishes to stress that enforcement will be a key component of the exercise, and persons who fail to participate, obstruct the exercise or engage in trading activities during the clean-up period will be arrested, fined, prosecuted before the sanitation court, or sanctioned in accordance with the relevant bye-laws.

Preventing flooding in Accra is a shared responsibility. While the Assembly continues to undertake major sanitation and drainage improvement interventions, residents, businesses, and institutions also have a duty to stop dumping refuse into drains, open spaces and waterways.

Exercise expected to happen in other areas

Assembly Members are also expected to lead clean-up exercises in their respective electoral areas to ensure effective coordination, community mobilisation and active participation at the local level.

The AMA reminds the public that dumping refuse into drains, leaving waste in open spaces and failing to clean frontage areas contribute significantly to flooding, environmental pollution and the spread of diseases. The Assembly will therefore continue to intensify public education, monitoring and enforcement of its sanitation bye-laws to ensure compliance.