Kanifing Municipal Council has started fencing the Bakoteh dumpsite in an effort to stop trespassers and children from getting into the site to start or light fires.
Authorities of the council said the fencing project has cost a sum of D9 million and that the council has committed tens of millions of Dalasi to the management of Bakoteh dumpsite over the past 3 years, adding that last year, the Council spent over D6.5 million to manage and maintain the dumpsite.
“Construction is currently on-going for a D9 million perimeter fence to fully secure Bakoteh dumpsite. The fence, which is entirely financed by the Council’s own capital development budget, measures 3.5 metres high and 1,770 metres long. The perimeter fence will eliminate trespassers at Bakoteh dumpsite who pose a risk to starting fires on site. By securing the site, children will be protected from entering the site and being exposed to unwanted health hazards. The construction of the fence is 40 percent complete and expected to be completed in the next 3 months,” Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda told journalists.
He added: “Later this month, the Council will launch a D48 million joint project with SOS Children’s Village to upgrade infrastructure on site, including access roads, fire hydrants, boreholes, solar lighting, security equipment, and hangers for sorting recyclable material. Over the past two years, the Council has engaged private sector partners to introduce formal waste processing at Bakoteh dumpsite. KMC’s Taskforce on Waste Processing came to an agreement with one company – Trisp – to develop bio-gas. Unfortunately, this partner was unable to begin operations, due to a lack of financing resulting from the COVID-19 global economic downturn. The Council continues to search for fit-for-purpose solutions to formalize waste processing on-site.”
When I came into office in 2018, I was fully aware that Bakoteh dumpsite was the greatest challenge facing KMC. Since then, it has become clear that Bakoteh dumpsite is a problem without borders. Last week’s fire and its smoke shows that Bakoteh dumpsite is a national issue that is not contained to Kanifing municipality, he said.