THAT outcomes of overflowing or uncollected garbage cause various diseases through the production of contaminants that pose serious health challenges is a well-known story.
This is because rubbish is a breeding ground for pathogenic microbes.
There are certain biological processes such as decomposition that take place in accumulated and uncollected garbage.
Vermin, insects, and bacteria thrive in decomposing rubbish and this would eventually cause somber health issues for communities.
So the cries from the people of Lusaka’s Kaunda Square Stage 2 to Lusaka City Council to clean up their area which is overflowing with garbage are well founded and deserve attention.
The flies roaming around the garbage in Kaunda Square and indeed elsewhere would still rove around people’s lunch buffet leaving some of the garbage particles there.
People would then contract common bacterial diseases that affect the intestinal tracts such as the notorious cholera or typhoid.
For this reason, it’s important for our Lusaka City Council and other stakeholders to consider spending some money on professional rubbish removal. In 2017 more than 120 Zambians lost their lives to cholera which came about from uncollected garbage in Lusaka’s central business district (CBD) and other parts of Zambia. That was unspeakable and a big infamy!
Needless to overemphasize that disposal of waste has huge environmental impact and can cause serious problems.
However waste management cannot be left to the local authority alone, but will require the involvement all residents to ensure that garbage is put in designated areas or provided waste bins for chary disposal.
Once the garbage is not collected in good time, it contaminates nearby water bodies that eventually becomes a huge threat to the ecosystem.
Once waste enters the water bodies, including underground boreholes, it changes the chemical composition therein with serious consequences.
Some of the waste items that make the ecosystem life unbearable include leftover paints, old computer equipment, and batteries and therefore their timely removal would ensure safety for the people.
In fact, it is advisable not to allow the garbage to accumulate especially during the rainy seasons because there are many waterborne diseases resulting from accumulated and uncollected garbage.
Just imagine if we all throw garbage, junk and rubbish away anyhow and there was no authority to supervise waste management activities from all the sources.
Imagine if we all just sent our rubbish to the landfill, or just dumped them in a nearby river. What do you think will happen? A disaster!
It may sound funny but a city with poor sanitation, smelly and with waste matter all over the place does not attract good people, investors and tourists.
May be it is also time for the Lusaka City Council with its cooperating partners to seriously consider going into garbage recycling and proper waste control to generate revenue and employment. The rains are already here and authorities should take waste management with the vigour it deserves and minimize situations such as the one now obtaining in Kaunda Square State 2 in Lusaka.