By Awa B. Bah
The National Assembly (NA) Select Committee on the Environment, continued on their visit to mining sites and environmental hot spots. This time the Committee visited the Tanji Fish Landing site where a dumpsite has encroached on the landing site used by fishermen to unload their catches. As part of its mandate, the NA select committee on the environment is assigned to assess environmental challenges and make recommendations to Government.
Upon arrival, one could see heaps of waste dumped very close to fish smoking houses. Malang Darboe the man in charge of keeping the place clean, said people have been dumping waste in the area for several months now; that the dumping of waste in the said area, bears the approval of the Regional Council because there was no place for waste to be dumped; that it was agreed and proposed to the community of Tanji by the Village Development Committee (VDC) for waste disposal to take place there as a collection point for Council which has never happened. During the inspection of the area by the NA select committee, it was discovered that the Brikama Area Council has not been cleaning or collecting garbage from the area as part of their mandate, for several months now.
Vendors asserted to members of the Select Committee that Council has failed to execute its duty to ensure the cleanliness of the area, when it comes to garbage collection; noting that it is seriously affecting their businesses and services within the area.
They expressed that the presence of the garbage and the filth and stench within the surrounding area, affects their health and call on the authorities to do their work; that they owe it to the citizens as taxpayers.
“The current situation of the garage is so disheartening and immediate action should be taken by BAC to remedy the situation,’’ said Raffle Favor, a Nigerian national engaged in fish-smoking and drying.
Sainey Touray and Suwaibou Touray, both members of the NA Select Committee, call on the BAC to adhere to their promise and desist from encouraging illegal dumping especially in public places, whilst advising the people to desist from dumping within the area. The committee expressed their disappointment with the way BAC was executing their duties. They urged the public to take the responsibility of maintaining and managing public places, when cleaned.
