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The government has expressed concern over the state of indiscriminate disposal of waste in communities, and has implored civic leaders to help take a lead in sensitizing the public to effectively manage solid waste.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary in-charge of Technical Services, Nicholas Phiri, referenced the current situation in Lusaka Central Business District (CBD).
Phiri said this during the orientation meeting for the Councilors drawn from various Wards around Lusaka City, on the implementation of the Lusaka Clean City project, held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka.
“The City is becoming overwhelmed with waste, thereby posing a potential to compromise the hygiene of residents, particularly in densely populated townships such as Kanyama and Chawama,” he said.
He also emphasized the urgent need for civic leaders to play a critical role of educating communities to observe appropriate waste management systems.
“It is therefore imperative that the Civic leaders in Lusaka familiarize themselves with the development of the upcoming Lusaka City Clean Project,” Phiri said.
He said the project, supported by JICA, is aimed at enhancing Lusaka City’s capacity in solid waste management through technical support and institutional capacity building.
Phiri stated that a major component of the initiative was the rehabilitation of the Chunga Landfill, Lusaka’s only Government-gazetted site for the solid waste disposal.
“Originally designed as a well-engineered Landfill, the Chunga Dumpsite has over time suffered from inadequate maintenance and poor access infrastructure,” he said.
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Phiri stated that with JICA’s support, preliminary rehabilitation works were underway to restore the site’s operational standards and ensure environmentally sustainable waste management.
“The Lusaka Clean City Project will be done by building the capacity of all stakeholders to enable them to effectively and efficiently play their roles to contribute to the desired cleanliness of the City. The capacity should be built in areas such as improved solid waste collection, transportation and disposal,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, JICA Zambia Office Senior Representative, Keita Izumi, reaffirmed the group’s commitment towards developing a Comprehensive Masterplan for the Lusaka Clean City project.
Izumi expressed confidence that once completed, the project will strengthen the capacity of Lusaka Integrated Solid Waste Management Company in improving the waste management including waste collection and disposal in the Capital City.
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