By Hassan Juana Koroma in Bo
A rise in the population of houseflies in a section of Bo has raised public health concerns among residents and health officials in the southern district.
Three communities - Pendegumahun, Kpetema and Majama - all in Kakua Chiefdom, are directly affected by the situation which the people blame on a nearby dumpsite in Mile Five, which is located five miles outside the Bo township. The affected communities are located within the five miles radius.
The villagers say the site provides a perfect breeding ground for the insects which they say have forced them to alter their outdoor interactions. They are calling on the local authorities, particularly the Bo City Council which manages the site, to act on it.
Town Chief of Pendegumahun Village, Samuel Kpatewa, expressed fears about the potential health dangers posed by the situation, noting that they feel unsafe in the face of the invading insects.
“We are no longer eating and drinking outside our compounds due to the swamping of flies on our food and water which is not part of our culture. The disposal site is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes which makes life very uncomfortable as we have sleepless nights,” Mr Kpatewa told Politico.
Houseflies are the most common fly pest found around homes. They lay eggs on wet decaying organic matter, on animal manure, and in rotting plant debris. This condition is common during the rainy season.
Mohamed Jalloh, an attendant at the dumpsite, said the insect follow the garbage from Bo city to the dumping site and subsequently they invade the nearby communities.
“It’s causing serious problem for the people,” said Jalloh, who is based at the dumpsite and lives in a small hut built by the Council.
With the ongoing rainy season, there is palpable fear among residents that the problem may get worse. And Chief Kpatewa lamented that several appeals for the local authorities to fumigate the dumpsite have fell on deaf ears.
“For five years now we have been complaining to the council to fumigate this place. But they have given deaf ears to our complaints,” Kpatewa said.
Besides the flies, the locals say they are also having to contend with a huge mosquito population which they said has led to rise in cases of malaria and diarrhea.
Health authorities say the area around the dumpsite has long been declared unfit for human habitation.
District Medical Officer, Doctor Roland Marsh, told Politico that the area is not habitable for humans considering the health hazard surrounding it.
“We have advised the affected communities not to reside close to the dump site because it has several health implications,” he said before, noting that the Ministry of Health would act on the matter.
“I assure residents that the ministry of health and sanitation has taken their concerns and appropriate actions will be taken in due course,” he said.
Despite the testimony of the dumpsite attendant, the Bo City Council rules out proximity of the communities to the dumpsite as the cause of the fly infestation. An official said the communities were located 500 meters off the dump site and therefore the flies could not go beyond that distance.
Swahilo Koroma, Waste Management Disposal Officer at the Council, said the situation could have been caused by waste that drops off from the garbage trucks on their way to the dumpsite. He said this could be resolved if drivers of these vehicles take more care.
“We have engaged them to take great care for the waste not to drop on the roads leading to the dump sites,” he said.
However, Politico understands that the skip vehicles pass through two of the communities – Pendegumahun and Majama. The third community, Kpetema, is located about half a mile from the highway.
The Environment Protection Agency said it’s also looking into the concerns of the people. EPA said the council doesn’t even have a permit to dump waste in that part of the district.
EPA Regional Manager, Aiah Wurrie Kembeh, said they agency have also advised the Council not to allow people to reside in the location.
“The waste management department of the Bo city council does not have license to open a dumpsite at Mile five. We had advised the Bo City council not to allow people to settle around the dump site they have established as it has health implication,” Kembeh told Politico.
© 2019 Politico Online
