State of affairs at Karonga market
* We have been approaching the Council authorities on this issue but our concerns have been falling on deaf ears
* The smell is unbearable creating potential environment for break out of diseases such as cholera
* The waste attracts flies which eventually land on fresh vegetables, fish and meat
By George Mponda, MANA
Piles of garbage at Karonga main market of which traders and customers are forced to bear its stench emanating from the waste, which is scattered around the market and is of serious concern as it is compromising market users’ health.
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The concern was raised chairperson of the traders at the market, Godwin Ghambi in an interview yesterday, and he accused the district council’s negligence as aggravating the situation.
“We have been approaching the Council authorities on this issue but our concerns have been falling on deaf ears,” Ghambi said. “The smell is unbearable creating potential environment for break out of diseases such as cholera.
“The waste attracts flies which eventually land on fresh vegetables, fish and meat,” he said and when contacted, the Council’s district environmental officer, Khumbo Mbeye said they have transport challenges in waste collection.
“Currently, we are using old and borrowed vehicles which breakdown almost every week,” he said. “We have a provisional solid waste dumpsite at Katili but there is need for a functional waste collection vehicle and a modern landfill dump site.
“However, market users should keep up the clean-up campaign momentum and enforce waste management regulations to keep all premises in the district clean.”
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He has since has since assured market users that the Council is doing everything possible to have the waste removed, saying: “Keeping the district clean and litter free is our priority.
“We apologize to everyone for the development and we assure them that we are doing our best to maintain quality refuse collection services throughout the district.”
Waste management in the country continues to face challenges and in the cities and urban areas, the Councils always attribute it to lack of waste disposal vehicles.
As Malawi joined the world in commemoration of the World Environmental Day, there are growing concerns relating to poor waste and chemical management in some parts of Lilongwe which are heavily affecting human health and the environment.
It has been observed that Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, is still facing challenges to enforce sanitation and hygiene in all its market places.
People resort to creating undesignated dumping sites along the city’s corridors pausing a threat to its residents as well as creating a bad and a negative impression for the city in as far as good sanitation, hygiene and the beauty of the city is concerned.
Malawi News Agency photojournalist, Paul Madise captured some spots:
In November 2020, President Lazarus Chakwera launched the National Clean-up Day campaign aimed at promoting both organised and individual clean up events and volunteering to keep the outdoors clean but it was overtaken by various events including CoVID-19 pandemic.
Launched under the theme: ‘A Clean Environment: My right, My Responsibility’, Chakwera was joined by the First Lady, the Vice-President Saulos Chilima; former British High Commissioner to Malawi, David Beer and other high profile dignitaries.
And addressing a gathering at Chinsapo later, Chakwera said the clean-up day should be celebrated on the second Friday of every month and emphasised on the need for mindset change, saying people do not care for their surroundings by disposing of their waste within their neighbourhoods.
Chakwera and Chilima launching the national
cleanup campaign
He further said carelessly discarded waste creates bad odour in neighborhoods as well as posing potential risk to public health while also asking Malawians to own their actions for their own sake and the people around them.
He added that the responsibility of a clean city and a clean environment should not be left to the City Council only because that mindset will never correct the unethical habit where people dump their waste everywhere expecting the City Council to clean up after them.
“As the theme suggests, a clean environment is the right and responsibility of every person. People dump their waste anywhere and everywhere — that is wrong and very hazardous to our environment.
But the event seemed to have been overtaken by events when CoVID-19 compelled the citizenry to stay indoors, as well as the two cyclones and the cholera outbreaks — that claimed many lives.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
