Excreta disposal in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and measures of dislodging
Dar-es-Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania. As with any rapidly growing city, there is an existing problem with waste disposal. The sudden surge in growth and expansion of the city has stretched the city’s infrastructure and as a result many residents have no basic urban services- solid and wastewater management, street lights, serviced roads, and piped water. Solid waste removal has been a particularly big concern for the country. Removal of solid waste is one of the services which makes the housing, environmental condition of the city, public health and scenic view of a city more beautiful. The pace at which Dar-es-Salaam has grown makes it very difficult for the government to keep up with the solid waste removal. “A substantial number of Dar-es-Salaam residents live in unplanned areas of the city because the speed of the city growth has been faster than the rate of providing services and infrastructure development. At the same time, the lack of surveyed plots led some families to build their homes in areas that are ecologically fragile- flood prone valleys and swamp areas. These are areas which are difficult to reach and clean, hence it is not serviced adequately. (Mmsoka, Colman T. & Rajabu, Nakivona. The Informal Systems of Solid Waste Removal in Dar es Salaam: An Enquiry. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdri-africancities.org%2Fuploads%2FN%2520raj.doc, retrieved 21 April, 2011. 5.)”
Waste removal and politics are intertwined. In Dar-es-Salaam, the City Council governs the waste removal policies. The failure of the council to institute successful waste removal contributed to the abolition of the old Dar-es-Salaam City Council. “Before it’s abolition the problem of solid waste removal because a political question. The removal efforts were increased by the Regional Commissioner, Ministers and the President of the United Republic of Tanzania apart from the city council. (Mmsoka, Colman T. & Rajabu, Nakivona. The Informal Systems of Solid Waste Removal in Dar es Salaam: An Enquiry. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdri-africancities.org%2Fuploads%2FN%2520raj.doc, retrieved 21 April, 2011. 6.)” A study conducted indicated that the main factor to the crisis of solid waste management was that the council had unclear strategies of removing the solid waste. During this period, city council trucks were not able to collect solid waste, streets and lanes were interrupted with heaps of garbage, and it was common for people to dispose of waste in the middle of the street. . (Mmsoka, Colman T. & Rajabu, Nakivona. The Informal Systems of Solid Waste Removal in Dar es Salaam: An Enquiry. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdri-africancities.org%2Fuploads%2FN%2520raj.doc, retrieved 21 April, 2011. 6.)”
The continued rapid pace at which the city is growing, informal settlements and the inability of the local government authorities to provide substantial solid waste removal has pushed the city authorities to allow development of alternative approaches of removing solid waste. “These alternatives include the use of private companies, community based organizations, associations and individuals who collect waste for a fee. . (Mmsoka, Colman T. & Rajabu, Nakivona. The Informal Systems of Solid Waste Removal in Dar es Salaam: An Enquiry. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdri-africancities.org%2Fuploads%2FN%2520raj.doc, retrieved 21 April, 2011. 7.)”
Training courses for the Sustainable Community Management of Urban Water and Sanitation Schemes has been created by the DAWASA and the WSP (Water and Sanitation Program-Africa) in January of 2009. “The training covers technical issues such as operations and maintenance activities. It also focuses on institutional, managerial and financial issues. There are seven modules in total which are high-impact tools to eliminate or reduce the major constraints in the managing the infrastructure and providing services as well as clarify the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders. (Sustainable Community Management of Urban Water and Sanitation Schemes (A Training Manual). Castro, Vivian; Makoye, Charles; and Msuya, Neli. https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsp.org%2Fwsp%2Fsites%2Fwsp.org%2Ffiles%2Fpublications%2Fafrica_training_manual.pdf, Retrieved 21 April 2011. 7.)”
In the Daily News Online , the city of Hamburg, Germany has pledged to provide Dar-es-Salaam with technical assistance in liquid and solid waste management. “The support is in line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two cities in 2009 and the ‘town twining’ pact signed in July of 2010. The Hamburg Wasser Director of Planning and Technology said that there would be cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the Dar-es-Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA), and the Dar-es-Salaam Water and Sewerage Company (DAWASCO). The Germans would introduce new technology on maintenance of dump waste. (Rugonzibwa, Pius. German City to Assist Dar es Salaam in Waste Management. Daily News Online Edition. (22 September 2010) Electronic Version.)”
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