Reports reaching Foroyaa say that the KMC Mayor and the CEO both visited the Bakoteh Dumpsite and that dumping of waste is now controlled while a grader keeps leveling the ground and putting the waste in a quarry. This is a step in the right direction but there is more to be done.
In answer to a question on the Bakoteh Dumpsite at the National Assembly, the minister of the environment made the following promise:
- Bakoteh Dumpsite be totally fenced and secured from scavengers and by-passers;
- Rigorous security control of the site to ensure that the site is secured from any form of intrusion;
- Bulldozer/shovel vehicle be stationed at the site to manage the daily dumps and tidying the site;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the municipalities and fire and rescue services so that when there is any kindling they should be called to put it off in order to prevent smoke emission;
- Each day’s dump should be spread/flattened and covered with a thin layer of sand to prevent stench emission burning too;
- Bakoteh Dumpsite be transformed into a transit point where sorting of waste and recycling can be done for all wastes coming from Banjul and Kanifing Municipalities in the near future; and
A final disposal site be identified by the Ministry of Lands and Regional Administration for the Greater Banjul Area for the safe disposal of waste.
Points 6 and 7 are noteworthy and we must not forget that what they are doing at the moment is a temporary solution. There is a lot to gain by collaborating with the communities on this issue and working with partners. Management of waste is a major challenge but leaders have to face challenges in serving the people, the reason for being elected.
Foroyaa will continue to monitor the situation especially the next meeting.
