Waste from households or units extracting palm oil and the lack of latrines in some public places are the main concerns expressed by the population during an exchange meeting organized by “Yaga Burundi” association.
The commune promises the establishment of a dump
The commune promises the establishment of a dumpDue to the lack of a dump, wastes of all kinds are thrown into the gutters and end in the waters of Lake Tanganyika. Other waste is thrown outside the town of Rumonge, as said by participants in the meeting that took place on June 1st.. Waste from the various palm oil mills is thrown into the rivers flowing into Lake Tanganyika.
The lack of latrines in some public places also poses a problem. Some participants regretted that Lake Tanganyika has become a dump with all the consequences on the ecosystem of this lake. They say that the consequences are visible with the fall in fish production in Lake Tanganyika due to pollution. In addition, the blueprint for the development of the town of Rumonge is not respected. The new neighborhoods are built in an uncontrolled way, what causes floods and other disasters that the commune is currently faced with. They appealed to the administrative authorities, technical services and the population to put a special emphasis on hygiene and sanitation.
Risk of disease outbreak
A health promotion technician who oversees the urban area of Rumonge said that the outbreak of diseases caused by poor hygiene and lack of sanitation is imminent due to this waste which is not well managed.
He advises the population to put household waste in bags while waiting for them to be removed.
There is an urgent need for the establishment of a well-developed dump to prevent dirt-caused diseases and other epidemics. He recalls that the commune of Rumonge is struck almost every year by a cholera epidemic.
According to him, sensitization campaigns were carried out for the construction of latrines in each household and the construction of latrines in public places. Owners of the palm oil extraction units have also been sensitized to the good management of waste from these units by discouraging the dumping of this waste into streams and rivers.
As for Venant Birorimana, secretary of Rumonge commune, he says the communal council has already decided on the establishment of a dump 4 km from the town of Rumonge. It will be placed in a public area on the border with the commune of Buyengero and will have an area of 4 ha.
He calls on the urban population to put waste in bags which will be collected by neighborhoods and the commune will afterwards carry them to temporary dumps.
One of the recommendations made in this meeting was that the commune makes a contract with an association which will remove the waste and that the question related to the cleanliness of the city should be discussed in the meetings in the same way as the issues related to health, economy and development.
Written by Félix Nzorubonanya and translated into English by Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana
IWACU Open Data
