Measures to prevent environmental pollution

The Diamond Cement Ghana Limited, a grinding plant at Aflao, Ghana, which imports clinker from an associated plant in neighbouring Togo producers of Portland cement is to build a 50m wide green belt around the factory as part of measures to make the environment free of pollution. A bag filter has been installed in the company’s clinker storage area in addition to two already in place to mop up and keep waste from spreading. The measure followed complains and by the communities around the factory whose inhabitants had claim that cement dust from the factory polluted their farmlands and homes.

 Consequently, at a meeting at the weekend between the company’s management and the community leaders convened by the Member of Parliament for the area, Lt-Col Charles Agbenaza (RTD) to resolve the issue, some of the inhabitants agreed to relocate outside the area proposed for the green belt in return for new settlements at the company’s expense.

 Mr Chitti Babu, the company’s General Manager, thanked the leadership of the local people and the MP for their understanding and the desire for a peaceful resolution.

 "Environmental management is a continuous process. We will not relent in our efforts for a clean environment in our own interest, for our customers and the local communities. We have achieved so much in terms of environmental management since production started two years ago and the sky is our limit for free unpolluted environment," Mr Babu said.