February 27, 2017 By Victoria Naomi Saffa
The Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Media network(WASH-media) toured various public toilets within the Freetown municipality and visit the Kingtom dumpsite over the weekend.
The visit targeted Krootown road market and its surrounding and facilities at the Kingtom dumpsite.
The visit was part of the WASH-Media activities in looking at WASH facilities across the Freetown municipality and other parts of the country.
Speaking to journalists during the visit, Caretaker of the Krootown road market toilet facility,Yah Posseh Bangura, said lack of water was a big challenge for them using the facility, adding that they have no running tap at the market, and that they always pay some boys to fetch water.
She said people pay five hundred Leones to use the facility but stressed that people were reluctant to use the facility, because of the unavailability of water.
The environmental officer of the Freetown City Council (FCC), Sulaiman Zainu Parker, said water crisis is beyond the reach of council, noting that it lies squarely on the shoulders of the Guma Water Company.
“We have engaged Guma in that direction but nothing seems to be done as at the moment. The last time we engaged the Guma management on this aspect, they told us that they are working towards taking water to different areas of which Krootown road area is among the listed places,” he said.
Parker also expressed frustration over the poor performance of the facility in terms of revenue generation but stressed that they would not relent in supporting it.
The visit to the Kingtom dumpsite was one with disappointment on the note that the sludge polder that was providing the necessary facility for the disposal of faeces was no longer operational, and that it was overwhelmed with garbage.
Faeces collected from across the city was now being deposited almost everywhere within the dumpsite, with people encroaching on it on a daily basis.
The FCC Environmental officer told Journalists that council did not have the money to rehabilitate the polder or relocate the dumping.
He said council was working with the World Bank to rehabilitate the site and eventually fence it to prevent people from entering or encroaching on it, noting that the site was no longer environmental friendly.
WASH-Media Coordinator, Kumba Filie, expressed dissatisfaction over the appalling condition of the site, noting that council needed to do more in salvaging the situation.