It is unfortunate that the Government, city authorities, the environmental health authorities, the planners, engineers and social commentators have all glossed over the importance of proper environmental engineering as an important factor in improving the sanitation in our cities. The main concern has been on the software issues of attitudinal change and enforcement of sanitation rules and regulations. The hardware issues of infrastructure and proper environmental engineering have been relegated to the background. That is why successive attempts at beautification of Accra and making it a millennium city have only scratched the surface of the problem. I shudder to note that even the Revised Environmental Sanitation Policy of Ghana produced in September 2010, and the Draft National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP) were dead silent on the need for an appropriate and modern environmental engineering plan to aid the improvement of sanitation in the country. I think that involvement of sanitation engineers in any sanitation policy update is crucial and paramount.
The cleanest cities in the world have not attained those heights without very good environmental engineering or by keeping their storm drains, big or small drains uncovered or open. Our policy makers and authorities in charge of sanitation need to tour Singapore to appreciate this important need. Singapore, one of the cleanest cities in the world, if not the cleanest has a climate similar to the southern belt of Ghana. 
Indeed cholera is bound to remain with us forever, as long as our gutters and drains remain uncovered, and used as dumping grounds for refuse, and contaminated with human waste. Even if people refrain from selling and buying food near choked drains and gutters, the houseflies will be there to carry the germs from the filthy drains and gutters into our homes, canteens and chop bars, to contaminate the food, fruits, and fluids (drinks) we take. 
As long as the drains and gutters remain uncovered, our plans to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa will remain a dream that cannot be realised. The uncovered drains and gutters contribute significantly to the filth and stench that is engulfing the city of Accra. Additionally the choked gutters and drains also contribute to the floods that cause loss of lives and property in the city with any heavy rain. Indeed, the open drains and gutters constitute a huge safety hazard as well, since children and adults alike are noted to have been falling into them with loss of limbs and lives.
I do hope that this new policy guidelines address comprehensively the issue of poor sanitation in our cities including appropriate environmental engineering as a priority hardware issue around which the all the protean software issues of behaviour, attitude, practices and enforcement of sanitation laws and regulations would revolve. Failure to do this will make all these efforts exercises in futility and our resolve to see Accra  the cleanest city a mirage.
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