LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes
THE communication gap between the local authority and communities of Mufulira has contributed to the accumulation of garbage in the area, says Future-Prenuere Zambia executive director, Martin Kampampa.
Mr Kampampa said the aim of his organisation was to help in planning and implementation of garbage collection, solid waste management and environmental protection.
He was speaking at a stakeholder’s dialogue meeting to report suggestions and recommendations that members of the public had aired during the public hearings that his organisation held on solid waste management.
He said during the six consultative meetings that were held in selected areas, members of the public suggested that the council should come up with selected points where residents could take their garbage for the council to collect and dispose of safely.
“The areas where solid waste management is a problem are mainly townships with people of low income and who cannot afford to pay for door to door garbage collection,
“These places also do not have access roads, so door to door garbage collection is an impossibility, and this is why residents suggested that communities can be contributing a minimal fee and garbage collection can be done from communal points,” he said.
Mr Kampampa said the recommendation, if adopted would greatly reduce indiscriminate garbage disposal in the district and that those who were found disposing waste indiscriminately should be punished.
Meanwhile Mufulira Municipal Council, director of public health, Jonathan Mupunga said indiscriminate garbage disposal was a punishable offence with a penalty of K2,500 or six months imprisonment.
“A person found indiscriminately disposing of waste has to pay K2;500, or be jailed for six months, so this is a very serious offence,” he said.
Mr Mupunga said the local authority has put several measures in place to ensure that garbage was disposed of correctly.
