Solid waste chokes Kuku’s Ngwenya Dam

RESIDENTS of Lusaka’s Kuku Compound have continued dumping solid waste in the Ngwenya Dam posing a serious health challenges to the people living near the water reservoir.
One of the concerned residents, Overton Chipeta expressed sadness that people in the area had continued dumping waste in the dam despite knowing the dangers of throwing garbage in the weir.
Mr Chipeta complained to the Sun in an interview that some residents had stopped caring for those who lived close to the dam and were throwing solid waste in it oblivious to communicable diseases that might break out.
“People of Kuku compound and part of Misisi have resorted to dumping their waste into Ngwenya Dam despite them knowing the dangers of what they are doing,
“Not only do they throw garbage they also throw people they kill in the dam including the stillborn,” said Mr Chipeta
Mr Chipeta appealed the local authority to consider fencing off the dam so that people could be prevented from throwing garbage and dead people in the dam.
He urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to beef up security in the area near the dam.
“The place is very dangerous between 18:30 and 07:00hrs of the following day because this is the time when thieves attack people,” he said.
And another resident Mercy Mwaba complained that Ngwenya Dam was not the designated dumping site of solid waste and that it was unfortunate that the people of Kuku and Misisi compound throw garbage there.
Ms Mwaba called on the local authority to give them power as a community to help the police in apprehending all the culprits who throw garbage in the dam.
“What we want is that the council should give us papers from the police so that we can have the powers to apprehend those who throw garbage and have them locked up,
“They are not even scared anymore. They throw garbage anytime of the day with impunity. When we talk to them about the bad practice of throwing waste into the dam, they tell us the dam is not our property,” said Ms Mwaba