Effectiveness on garbage collection in Dar city is still a nightmare

Successful waste management in Dar es Salaam still remains a nightmare after the authorities admitted that poor technology, prolonged rain periods and depleted infrastructures have fatally maimed the efforts to clean the city. Insufficient garbage collection has left the business centres of the stinking with garbage debris overwhelming in the city council sanitary infrastructures. A two week survey carried out in a number the city suburbs revealed that there is huge heaps of stinking rubbish left uncollected and continuously releasing horrible smell which hygienically threatens health security of the people around. The survey also revealed that, the scattered garbage heaps contained mostly in plastic bags and in some sacks could be seen all over the place within the city’s suburbs has now become a nuisance to people with some blaming the city fathers for their failure to keep clean the surroundings. However, the authorities concerned seem to be unconcerned with the situation despite calls by residents who are quite disappointed with steps taken by the city fathers in order to ward off the situation. Investigations by this paper has it that companies tendered to collect the refuse  and dispose them from the three municipal councils of Ilala, Kinondoni and Temeke to a dumping area seems to have failed to do their jobs. However, an officer who spoke on strict condition of anonymity said that, the available poor working facilities (tools), coupled by poor technology used including lack of experiences are the contributing factors that leads to the poor garbage collection. Interviewed residents noted that, as the situation persists, it is also very disappointing to note that, no any development is being taken so far with a view to remedy the situation. It has been discovered that, with the re recent survey carried out at Kariakoo area which is certainly the top of the list of the notorious places to see for most visitors to Tanzania, is badly hit by the situation. An environmental health officer has said that, it is an undeniable fact that the famous Kariakoo Market Complex in Dar es Salaam, one of the city's historical landmarks and a popular shopping area for all kinds of foodstuffs and other goods, has been overwhelmed by the situation. Hassan Mkumbwa said in an exclusive interview on Tuesday last week that, the ever-increasing population of the city in recent decades has contributed a lot to improper keeping of the waste management systems in the area and some other parts in the city.  However, the Guardian moved further to investigate about the issue as to why it is becoming so difficult to keep the city clean and its environment especially in garbage collection. Contacted for comment, the Environmental Health Officer from the city council, Membe Protus Membe has said that, the on-going long rains has drawn back the speed of garbage collection in most parts of the city suburbs. Elaborating on the issue, Membe who is the acting head of Waste Management Dept of the city council said that, the current rains has retarded the pace of garbage collection following the damage on the infrastructures caused at the main dumping site located at Pugu Kinyamwezi on the outskirts of the city. He said that, the main roads leading to the site had been destroyed by heavy rains and that, currently the city council has contracted a firm known as ‘Motorcyke Contractor to repair the damaged roads. He said about 4.5 Km stretch of the road surrounding the site is being repaired including a road of about 1.2 Km stretch leading to the site from the main road. He said due to ongoing maintenance work, and coupled by the ongoing rainfalls, fleet of trucks carrying garbage from the main city suburbs has reduced their trips from 150 to currently 80 trips per day. This is almost by half percentage rate, he affirmed. He further attributed the fact that, currently the three municipal councils collects between 1,500 and 2,000 tones of garbage out of the produced 4,252 tonnages per day. He noted that, from the statistics Kinondoni municipal council leads with 2,026 tones, followed by Temeke 1,138 tones and lastly Ilala which collects about 1,088 tones of garbage per day. In addition to that, he has affirmed that, the city council has acquired Sh. 270 million to build a cell pit out of five which have been designated at the dumping site. The construction which is expected to commence at any time will help conserve filth in sanitary way.