By Mustapha Jallow
Following the numerous complaints by vendors and residents regarding
the unsanitary and unhygienic conditions at “Marche Tayal’, a small
neighbourhood market in Tallinding, the Kanifing Municipal Council
(KMC) responded by starting the removal of the uncollected rubbish
which has been dumped there.This was revealed to this reporter by the Public Relation Officer
(PRO) of KMC yesterday, 12 October, 2015 at her office. Mrs.
FatoumattaSillah further said that they are working on plans to
relocate the said dump site from the vicinity of the market.
The KMC PRO said their cleansing service workers are sent there and
they have now started clearing the rubbish from the area.
“I want to take this opportunity to appeal to the market vendors and
residents in the area to be patient with us as we are working very
hard to ensure that their environment is restored to a clean state,’’
she said.
On the issue of the leaking soak away and the toilets which the
vendors said are full with human waste, the KMC PRO said they have
consulted their management and are working on plans to build new and
good toilet facilities for the market. She also promised that the
soakaway will be fixed very soon.
When this reporter visited the said area where the dump site is
located, he saw the part of the place having been cleared. He was told
by the residents that the KMC workers were there and had started
clearing the garbage.
The soakaway, which was leaking, was also partially drained by the
Council workers, as confirmed by this reporter.
It was earlier reported that residents living in close proximity to
the market have been raising their concerns regarding the threat being
posed to their health by this uncollected garbage. They have also been
expressing concern especially with regards to their children who are
more exposed to the health threat as they play in the street where the
dump is situated. The residents also maintained that the garbage is
not only posing a hazard to their health but also blocks the road and
restricts movement of people and vehicles.
In another development, the site at the Tabokoto junction, where the
KMC had evicted vendors who were using the place as a market, has now
been transformed into a dumpsite.
When this reporter visited the place yesterday, he found a team of the
KMC Cleansing service removing the rubbish that was dumped at the said
site.
The KMC removed the vendors from the area in August this year and
ordered them to relocate to an area in Abuko. However, the affected
vendors expressed their dissatisfaction with the move, citing
distance, financial constraints and remoteness of the place as reasons
for not accepting the relocation.
