Waste
management is a central issue in any urban settlement. Just like Kanifing
Municipality and other metropolis, the issue is a thematic issue not only in
The Gambia but in many developing countries.
People
should understand that communities generate waste; the bigger and more
economically advanced the community, the bigger and more varied the waste.
For
instance, in highly populated areas like KM, waste is generated from many
sources: from residences, industrial waste, from hospitals and other medical
facilities and even from technological advance (e-waste).
However,
the inauguration of fleet of waste trucks by KMC within the municipality is a
not only a welcome development but a commendable move. The provision of these
waste trucks would go a long way in improving the environmental condition of
the municipality.
The
Kanifing Municipality has done it part. But what is the role of its inhabitants
in making sure that waste generated from our homes are manage and collected
safely?
This
calls for more sensitisation on effective waste management.
We
thus call on communities particularly those near the designated dumpsites to
understand that ‘if we continue in the current pattern of unhygienic waste
disposal and ill waste management’, the next generation will have to address
waste from millions of synthetic fabrics and apparel and the list goes on.
These are not biodegradable, and as they are
photo-degrade over hundreds of years they release chemicals into the
environment.
Other hazardous products that end up in our
waste stream include batteries, automotive fluids; and harmful household waste,
such as oil-based paints, pesticides, and automotive fluids. Batteries for
instance, contain lead that can leak onto the soil. Lead causes reduced learning, hyper-activity
and behavioural problems, including violence. Toxins from waste can pollute our
soil and surface and ground waters. Soil
contamination also poses human health risks to children playing on dumps.
Depending
on location, dumps can keep water from draining which may lead to flooding.
Illegal dumps can also pose a fire risk; disrupt wildlife habitats, and present
physical hazards to human health.
Municipalities
should be cognizant of these facts and above all know that the purpose of any
development process is to achieve a decent society; decent not only in terms of
material wellbeing of the people, but their physical wellbeing as well.
‘‘Of
all the waste we generate, plastic bags are perhaps the greatest symbol of our throwaway
society. They are used, then forgotten, and they leave a terrible legacy. . ’’
Zac
Goldsmith
