At the moment, the existing sewerage system serves only 13 per cent of Dar es Salaam residents. The plant will facilitate the recycling of waste water, mainly for industrial and irrigation purposes.
The government says funds for the project have already been obtained from the EXIM Bank of Korea.
A feasibility study for the project is already underway, the state says. Apart from the noble task of recycling waste water, the government should also push for control of the dangerous effluents that emanate from factories.
Most factories in Dar es Salaam spill their toxic effluents into residential areas causing a fearsome health risk. Perhaps the most dangerous garbage comes from hospitals, health centers, pharmacies and dispensaries. Normally hospital refuse must be incinerated under close supervision.
But somehow, some of the waste finds its way into the communal dumpsites. The items commonly found in hospital refuse include bottles, used syringes, various types of needles and blades, cotton swabs or absorbent pads used in surgery, empty medicine containers and used bandages.
Most of these items are health hazards. Highly dangerous waste also comes from factories in the form of garbage laced with toxic chemicals, acids and poisons. Industrial effluents often flow into dumpsites. Barefoot scavengers, for example, or those wearing sandals risk of treading on corrosive matter.
Scavengers are also exposed to infectious diseases, including hepatitis A and B, tetanus, coliform and even HIV/AIDS.
The government should correct this anomaly as well. In yesterday years, domestic garbage disposal units were considered an efficient way to get rid of food waste and other domestic rubbish in the homes, but in the current green living climate, the environmental impact of trash disposal has caused numerous problems. The Fifth Phase Government has seen this anomaly and has moved to stem the rot.
The rule of thumb at the moment is that there must be a nationwide environmental clean-up on the last Saturday of each month. A brilliant idea indeed. But there are stumbling blocks in this noble initiative. The nation has too few garbage collection trucks and too many dumpsites some of which are located in the middle of major cities, municipalities and towns.
This situation worries social welfare and health officers.
Dumpsites and heaps of uncollected rubbish are simply dangerous to health. Invariably, poor health is an impediment to economic, social, political, educational and other pursuits. Poor health frustrates everyone especially socially disadvantaged adults and vulnerable children.
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