The Bakoteh / Manjai dumpsite issue is still unresolved while the ban on dumping solid waste at the site still holds.
By Madiba Singhateh
This standstill is a result of the community’s disagreement with the Kanifing Municipal Council regarding the management of the site. Information reaching Foroyaa indicates that while the council wishes to manage the dumpsite in consultation with the communities, the activists in those communities believe that the council has proved itself incompetent to manage the dumpsite and should now relinquish that role to the communities who have direct interest in its status.
Since last month, dumping was banned at the said site and nobody from the communities around the dumpsite or within the municipality is allowed to dump any waste at the site.
Visiting the site, this reporter saw some work in progress by the council as bull dozers can be seen levelling the ground.
Since no body is allowed to dump waste at the site donkey carts can be frequently seen carrying waste material and shifting direction towards another dumpsite in Tallinding beside the river.
Many people within the municipality now have difficulty in disposing of their waste materials.
This reporter spoke to the gateman at the Bakoteh / Manjai dumpsite and this is what he said: ‘‘No waste material is allowed to be dumped here and as you can see for yourself, we have bulldozers working here since morning.’’
Abubacarr Jeng, Chief Executive Officer Trustee Associate, told Foroyaa that they have no agreement with the council regarding the site, while the council is saying the opposite.
It could be recalled that the KMC stopped people from dumping waste at the said site, when the communities living within closed proximity complained and demonstrated about the serious pollution emanating from the dumpsite thereby causing sicknesses of all sorts to the members of the communities.
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL IN KANIFING MUNICIPALITY ...
... MAY SOON BE A NIGHTMARE THE KMC SHOULD ACT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
Foroyaa Newspaper, 26.04.2017
The Kanifing Municipal Council is responsible for solid waste disposal within the municipality and has designated the Bakoteh dumpsite for that purpose. However, it was unable to cope with the management of the dumpsite resulting to serious health issues for the communities in the immediate vicinity of the dumpsite. There has been a lot of publicity in the media before but the issue was ignored until the protests of the communities brought the matter to the fore and dumping of waste at the dumpsite was halted.
But this is not a solution because residents in the municipality at large will find alternative means of disposing of their waste which can cause serious harm to the environment and health problems.
The KMC cannot stay aloof of this problem. They need to come up with a solution that will meet the needs of both the Bakoteh/Manjai communities and the Municipality at large. To fail to do so will be to abdicate its responsibility. They should come up with workable concrete plans and pursue dialogue vigorously.