Concord Times (Freetown)
Alasan Conteh
18 June 2009
Concord — Solid waste management and water supply effort has received a boost from the World Bank following a disclosure meeting with community leaders, chiefs and councilors at the Boston community centre on Friday.
Chaired by the deputy ministers of internal affairs, Hon. Raymond Kabia, the opening saw the expression of thanks to the Bank for coming to the aid of residents of the city by supporting such worthy venture.
Kabia maintained that various health implications were involved in the accumulation of waste in central Freetown as well as the use of unsafe sources of water for consumption purposes.
He underscored the importance of safe drinking water and a clean environment, which he emphasized, were essential ingredients in the overall development of a people. He further appealed to participants and encouraged them to treat outcomes of the meeting, especially those recommendations reached and made by the environmental consultation.
Prior to the official disclosure of the documents, environmental consultant Professor Ernest Ndomahina informed the audience that two documents have been prepared on the environmental concerns inherent in the water supply improvement works and the waste management of Freetown.
On the question of water supply improvement plans, he noted that works involved laying of new pipes and replacing old ones which may have environmental repercussions but warned that when once these pipes are laid, no one should erect houses on them.
Anyone who does so, according to Professor Ndomahina, would have the house demolished without compensation. Areas for the water improvement works include Allen Town, Kissy, Welligton, Mountain Terrace, Calaba Town and Bahaam Road by Leicester.
Speaking on the waste disposal management, the consultant noted that Freetown produces 80 tonnes of waste everyday and that dump sites at Burmeh and Kingtom were not ideally located, as they were in centre of the town.
He declared that plans were underway to relocate them away from the city.
"Burning of dump sites, building of houses near dump sites and planting vegetables on dump sites are all capable of causing environmental disasters for people and communities," he warned.
Contributions were also made by various councilors on the two documents which later culminated in its official endorsement community leaders.
Present at the disclosure meeting were Raymond Awoonor-Williams, chief engineer of Guma Valley Water Company, Tamba Charles, manager Freetown waste management company, and Joseph Maheiyei of the project management coordination unit.
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nourrissimo2, I am new to this forum, and just saw your comment re your trip to Sierra Leone in April 09.Very encouraging work. Were you part of the team from Caldonian Environmental Centre in Glasgow, Scotland? I am in waste management business in the US, and a native of Sierra Leone. Can you email me at 'nsonn2007@nathsonn.com' so we can discuss further? Thanks
Dear Sir,
Since you are in the US, I am in Canada, please contact me at drtuekam@gmail.com to discuss possibility of cooperation towards this waste management problem for our countries.
Dr. Steve D. Tuekam DVM, Msc, Ph.D
Dear Sir,
I am also a native of Africa, please contact me at drtuekam@gmail.com to discuss the possibility of setting up a project for complete waste desintegration and conversion into eltricity.
based regards,
Dr. Steve D. Tuekam DVM, Msc, Ph.D
I am a chartered waste consultant MCIWM from England, Manchester. Myself and 12 other waste professionals traveled to Sierra Leone this April(09)as a waste taskforce group. It was a voluntarily self funded trip and our aim was to gain a level of understanding surrounding the issues of waste management for Freetown, and to share experiences and professional practice. Our group engaged with a number of Waste Management Companies who had contracts either with the Local Authority or privately. We provided health and safety training and explained how Englands waste management sector is set up. Work with the British Council also involved the engagement with a number of schools and the provision of an Environmental Audit for the BC offices. I am looking for ways to further my involvement so please contact me.