Garbage crisis plagues town as dumpsite is shut
What you need to know:
- “We cannot allow an overflowing dumpsite to continue risking people’s lives. We have closed the dumpsite until the Ministry of the Environment comes forth and addresses the issue to reduce the threat of diseases,” said Dr Munywa.
- He said the county government was planning to buy land to be used for garbage disposal.
Nyeri town has been plunged into a crisis over waste disposal, after public health officers shut down its dumpsite.
Public Health Officer Josephine Wambui issued a six-month notice to the county government to relocate the dumpsite.
“We have written to the county government asking them to relocate the dumpsite to a safer place from where it is,” Dr Wambui said.
The shutdown left numerous trucks stranded with loads of smelly garbage as their crew pondered what to do.
The dumpsite receives over 30 such trucks daily.
The dumpsite is currently overflowing with garbage and medical wastes such as soiled gloves and bandages and used needles, syringes and test tubes.
Residents of homes near the dumpsite said the mess was exposing them to numerous health risks.
“It has become very difficult for many of us. People have even started moving to other estates as the smell and the flies that come from the dumpsite is threatening our health,” said Ms Eunice Njeri, a resident.
Homeless children who scavenge for valuables at the site said some private hospitals and dispensaries dumped the medical wastes.
“We fear that the syringes in this dumpsite can infect us with various diseases,” one of them said.
Nyeri County Chief Health Officer Peter Munywa said the dumpsite problem would be addressed once and for all.
“We cannot allow an overflowing dumpsite to continue risking people’s lives. We have closed the dumpsite until the Ministry of the Environment comes forth and addresses the issue to reduce the threat of diseases,” said Dr Munywa.
COVERED WITH SOIL
He said the county government was planning to buy land to be used for garbage disposal.
The dumpsite will be covered with soil to reduce any risks to residents
Dr Munywa, at the same time said health officers will inspect all hospitals to assess how they dispose the medical waste they churn out.
“We have put strict measures on biomedical waste disposal. The hospitals should not be depositing such waste at the dumpsite,” he said.
Dr Munywa said all biomedical wastes should be incinerated at the hospitals to avoid those living near the site or visit it getting exposed to the dangers.
