The mayor of KMC has expressed his council’s preparedness to restore some dilapidated and seriously-eroded feeder-roads in his municipality.

Mayor Yankuba Colley said his council has a role to play in the reconstruction process, though it is the responsibility of the Gambia Roads Authority to undertake such initiatives.

Mayor Colley’s comments came in the wake of a general outcry by some concerned residents of the municipality about the state of the roads in the country’s most populated metropolitan settlement.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer in his office at the KMC, he said the concern of the people is the concern of his council.

“This concern is not an easy task that can be achieved overnight but the council wants to overcome this issue. It is something that is outlined in the council’s plan and we will work towards achieving it,” he emphasised.

Mayor Colley then elaborated: “Among the plans to solve the problem is the procurement of bulldozers to improve the condition of some of the feeder-roads. If these equipment are procured, they will be used in road construction, as well as help in the management of waste”. Mayor Colley added that these are some of the strategies put in place, as his council does not have the capacity to construct roads.


Waste management
Commenting on the state of garbage management in the municipality, Mayor Colley indicated that garbage has drastically reduced thanks to ‘Operation Clean the Municipality’ which was launched by his council in February.  

He revealed that his council wants to ensure that garbage collection and management problems are relegated to the past by mid-2009, noting that this is why they are going in for more cleansing materials since those with the municipality are inadequate.
 
In addition, Mayor Colley added that his council will embark on a vigorous sensitisation campaign in the municipality in a bid to create more awareness on issues relating to garbage management.

“It is also important for the people to start managing waste as health concerns everybody.  It must be also noted that in as much as the council spends to curb the issue of garbage, if the support of the people is lacking, the objective of eradicating the phenomenon may be difficult,” Mayor Colley highlighted.

The mayor described his seven-month old “Operation Clean the Municipality’ as successful, as major dumping sites in the municipality are being cleared off on a regular basis, coupled with the routine collection of waste in the communities.