The Freetown City Council waste management team has seemingly become overwhelmed with the garbage issue causing major garbage sites and piles of rubbish to pile up at strategic locations of the city, for days without emptying the dust bins which is now posing a serious health risk to the people.
According to one of the waste collectors at the Freetown City Council Allieu Kamara who was interviewed by this press, he disclosed that, certain communities are in the habit of dumping dirt on the ground, and drainages living the located dust bins empty.
Mr. Kamara disclosed that, certain unscrupulous individuals are also in the habit of dumping huge piles of garbage on the street during the night with cars and wheel barrows, making it very difficult to collect all the rubbish that litter the streets of Freetown.
He expressed frustration and disappointment over the manner in which the public is behaving and further cited an incident that happened last month where a security officer was stabbed by an unknown individual who had gone to dump piles of rubbish on the ground.
Adding that, most dump sites are not properly monitored by the Freetown City Council to stop the indiscriminate dumping of rubbish on the ground and ensure that garbage sites are controlled and immediately dispose of the piles of rubbish from the sites.
Kamara said, most of the waste collectors are not getting adequate protection on the job and poor conditions of service, has made it very difficult for garbage collectors to do their work, as gears such as gloves, nose mask and rain boots are not provided to the workers to avoid contamination of disease at the dump sites.
He noted that waste collectors are not even provided with medical facility by the Freetown City Council for their well being on the job, noting that most of the workers are vulnerable to all types of sicknesses, but the workers had to pay for their own medical bills.
An official of the Freetown City Council has disclosed that the huge piles of garbage sites at strategic locations within the city is an embarrassment to council and the Government, but he however promised to inform higher authorities about the abandoned sites. He further promised to improve workers conditions of service, particularly waste collectors who are on the field to improve on their well being at work.
ADVERTISEMENT