By Fatoumatta K. Jallow
School teachers, parents and residents are still calling on the Brikama Area Council (BAC) to complete the removal of the pile of 
uncollected garbage at Wellingara which it has already started but stalled.
As school has now re-opened, concern is being expressed regarding the potential threat to the health of children that the garbage poses given its proximity to the school. The garbage has blocked the route leading to a school, market and some compounds in the vicinity and is a cause for concern to the people. It is not only a health hazard but restricts movement of people.
Almost a month ago, following the publication in this medium of the complaint of the school teachers and residents regarding the uncollected, the BAC responded by sending a team to start clearing the area. Unfortunately, the clearing was not completed and the complainants started raising their concerns again.
One of the school officials in the nursery school had even said that they have stopped using the other gate because of the waste dumped around the area as the children are very small and that their exposure to the uncollected garbage would be harmful to their health. He explained that he always restricts the children from going around the corrugated fence between the waste and the nursery school as it is not safe given their tender ages two, three to four years. He said he is appealing to the Area Council in Brikama for the sake of these small children to come and remove the remaining waste once and for all.
According to the caretaker of the primary school, the said waste is increasing every day and that he is the one who even sits around the gate to restrict people from dumping garbage at the place.
While visiting the area, this reporter saw some small children in the neighbourhood playing around the garbage dump.
