By Fatoumatta K. Jallow
The seemingly intractable garbage dumped at the Wellingara Market which the vendors, residents and school officials alike have 
been complaining about for several months now has again started piling up and posing its usual environmental hazards to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Despite media reports and the incessant calls for the Brikama Area Council ( BAC ) to find a lasting solution to relocate the dump and the efforts to clear it, the problem is back again with the garbage blocking an entire street and making movements for both pedestrians and motorists difficult or impossible.
When this reporter was invited again to visit the area last week, she found the street covered with pile of garbage and the students negotiating their way around it to access their school which is nearby.
One of the concerned vendors, Binta Barry, who sells charcoal, said the garbage is directly in front of them and is posing a serious threat to their health as they are exposed to its filth and pungent odour. “We have nowhere to go to other than here and the customers are even running away from here because of the stench,” she lamented.
She said they are once again appealing to the area council to come and remove the pile of garbage form the area once and for all to enable them sell in a safe and healthy environment.
One of the school officials who prefers anonymity said they have observed that the garbage is increasing every day and is posing a threat to the health of school children, in particular, and to those who live and work around.
He also added his voice to the calls for the council to intervene by removing or relocating the garbage dump to an area that is far away from the school.
“We are suggesting that they consult with the ‘Alkalo’ to find a suitable place for this dumpsite,” he said.
