Development – a positive one indeed – is what every nation strives for, although very few put into consideration the inevitable implications that come with it, which takes the form of excesses in the attitude of the people; in the form of all forms of criminal activities, as a result of a swell in the population; and the inevitable environmental impact that is triggered by the increasing level of urbanization.

Waste management is mostly a central issue in the troubles of urbanization. As in all developed and almost all developing countries, this is one of the problems The Gambia is facing currently.

Thankfully, this is an issue central to the operations of the municipalities and area councils around the country. Kanifing Municipal Council for one has been battling with it since the assumption of office by the new authority there, and the level of progress they have registered is quite commendable.

However, current reports emanating from certain quarters suggest that a more collaborative effort is needed if we are to consolidate previous gains in the country’s waste management endeavours. The Council took the inhabitants of its municipality by surprise, last year, when it announced moves to overhaul its waste disposal system.

By all accounts, this has helped improved the environmental condition of the areas hitherto whose level of environmental degradation made them to a great degree unfit for human habitation. People are not only saved from the burden of having to put up with the discomfort of dirt and unpleasant odour, because of their proximity to encroaching dump sites, but they have also been accorded the added privilege of not having to trek their way to dumping sites, instead, the Council’s refuse collection department is doing that.

But despite all this, it is becoming a common phenomenon to see bunches of plastic bags here and there whenever one ventures out in the morning. These bags contain refuse, apparently dumped by people who are too impatient to wait for the routine rounds of the tractors from the municipal authority. The attitude of these few people is turning the good-intentioned program of the authorities at the council into a bad one. Now, the issue is: how do we tackle this growing problem? We need collaborative efforts if we are to make any headway.  

A couple of days ago, we had an announcement by a top official of KMC that plans are on the way to get the communities themselves involved in the setting up of security mechanisms against the practice of dumping rubbish on sites that have been declared illegal.

The official also mentioned the possible availability of trashcans for across the municipality. These are all development distribution that, if realized, will surely boost the already big steps that have been achieved in the country’s efforts towards meeting the challenges posed by urbanization. All we need now as citizens and inhabitants of the country is to continue to nurture the level of sanity that prevails by endeavouring to abide by the rules that govern them. This will surely help safeguard the peace of the entire nation.