The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has cautioned Ghanaians to restrict their movements in public to prevent health risks associated with air pollution.
Ghana has for the past few days witnessed unusual weather change that has been likened to the January harmattan. The EPA said the air quality in the country has become hazardous to human health.
Speaking to Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on the development on Tuesday (21 February), the director of public affairs at the agency, Angelina Ama Tutuah Mensah called on the general public to “wear nose mask as if our lives depend on it.”
“For immediate action, we need to wear nose masks and if indeed we have nothing doing in town, we should stay indoors.
“One medium to long term action we could be taking is to start planting trees to help absorb some of these winds, …these are pollutants, these are not harmattan winds,” Mensah said.
GMA warns Ghanaians of dry and dusty weather
Meanwhile, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has advised the public to wear nose masks, following an increase in dry and dusty atmospheric conditions in Ghana.
The agency in a statement noted that meteorological satellites have detected that dust lifted around Chad, Sudan, and Niger have been transported into Ghana.
“This dust was transported into the country by strong winds at lower levels of the atmosphere. As a result, an intensification of dry and dusty weather conditions was expected to be experienced in Ghana during the week as issued in the GMet weekly and daily forecasts,” the statement said.
“Furtherance to the above, this has resulted in dryness and decreased visibility, which may take some time to clear completely. Relative humidity, over the period, has ranged between 15% and 50% with a visibility range of 200 meters to 5,000 meters. These conditions are expected to persist at varying intensities over the next few days,” the GMA said.
GMA further advised that the general public to “keep hydrated, follow fire safety precautions, cover foods/water to prevent dust from settling on them. Wash fruits thoroughly before taking them, and people allergic to dust are to wear nose masks to reduce the effect on them.”
Read the full statement below:
