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Indiscriminate bush burning rampant in Northern Region
Military officer at the scene
Indiscriminate bush burning by young people in search for rodents is becoming very rampant and worrying especially during the harmattan season in the Northern Region of Ghana.
Most of these young people set grasses on fire in order to track the rodents to hunt them.
At the process, the fire escalates resulting in burning properties and goods in the area.
As shown in the photographs, these group were photographed on the Tamale airport road, burning grass in order to hunt for rodents.
It took the intervention of a military officer passing by to stop the group when the fire started escalating and out of control.
This has become one of the major challenges every year in Northern Region, despite authorities seem not finding lasting solution to it.
Annual bush burring does not only affect the environment and contributes to climate change but has adverse effect on human and animal health, social integration as well as the economic well-being of the people.
Most people have lost their properties, farmlands due to this back practice in the area during the dry season.
Speaking, the Northern Regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Manager, to Mr. Abu Iddrisu said, his outfit have been doing community sensitizing on the effect of bush burning in on radio and sometimes television, but community members keep ignoring the warnings.
He said, culprit should be prosecuted when found violating the law, tis will serve as a deterrent for other.
He also said that, the Ghana fire service need to me resourced in order to go around the various communities within their jurisdiction to raise awareness.
We are doing a lot of bushfire management and training of farmers who can really champion the principles, he added.
From Geoffrey Buta, Tamale