By Karimatou Jallow
Residents of Bakoteh have complained about the hazardous smokes and stench coming from the dumpsite in the community where almost all towns within Serrekunda dump their garbage.
As usual, they are calling for the relocation of the site to help save them from catching lung ailments.
Their complaints continue despite fencing the site by the Kanifing Municipal Council to help deter children and some elders from scavenging from the site for health reasons.
EbrimaTouray, a resident around the site told The Voice that: “we are being disturbed by the bad smell of the rubbish dumping here every day. Though, there is fence built at this end but that did not change anything because the bad small comes from different direction when the winds blow.”
He said they are making efforts to make sure that people stop burning rubbish at the place and also stop dumping rubbish around the fence because anyone found doing so will task to pay.
“We should work hard in deterring people from dumping rubbish here because our health matters a lot, and I call on the government to support us and relocate the dumpsite to another place where nobody will be affected,” he said.
Tida Sillah, also a resident around the dumpsite said: “we are grateful for the fence they built around the site because it is much better than before. Years back people dump their rubbish indiscriminately but since they fenced the place nothing of such is happening now.”
“However, all my children are asthmatic patients and that is as result of this bad smoke, besides when they are about to burn the rubbish I make sure that I move all my children to mother’s house until the smoke stop, if not the sickness will disturb them. We are still calling on the government to relocate this dumpsite to another place. Because the smoke has been affecting us badly which is not good for our health,” She added.
“The dumping site is very terrible because the smoke disturbs us a lot, sometimes we have to move to another place until it stop, or drink milk whenever the smoke disturb us. But nowadays things have changed because everything is expensive, buying milk for all the family members is not what everybody can afford all the time. So, we really need help because it is affecting our health,” Ndey Ngum explained.