EMA Raises Concerns Over Proliferation of Dumpsites in Harare’s Residential Areas
By Staff Reporter
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has voiced apprehension regarding the increasing number of dumpsites in residential areas, citing their transformation into breeding grounds for disease-causing vectors.
Leon Mutungamiri, the Harare Metropolitan Provincial environment manager at EMA, emphasized the significance of all stakeholders, including individuals, corporations, communities, and business entities, adopting optimal waste management practices in a recent statement.
“The waste management situation in Harare Metropolitan Province is a cause for concern and necessitates citizens taking responsibility for their actions. The Environmental Management Agency urges every citizen, corporation, community, and business entity to embrace best practices in waste management to prevent littering and the emergence of dumpsites,” said Mutungamiri.
He further added, “The proliferation of dumpsites in most residential areas provides breeding grounds for disease-causing vectors. EMA encourages communities to implement waste separation at the source, with each household organizing the separation of waste for recyclers’ collection. Communities will be connected with recyclers for the collection of recyclable waste materials. Similarly, retailers should separate waste at the source and collaborate with recyclers to collect their separated recyclable waste materials.”
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Mutungamiri highlighted that EMA has intensified law enforcement and patrols specifically focused on waste management.
“EMA, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies in Harare, has escalated law enforcement and patrols concerning waste management. The primary targets are individuals who engage in littering, illegal dumping of waste, public transport operators without bins, individuals caught disposing of litter through vehicle windows, and shop owners without adequate bins in front of their shops. The Environmental Management Agency calls upon every citizen in Harare to reevaluate their behavior and embrace the understanding that a clean environment is the right of every individual, necessitating responsibility and active participation to achieve it,” Mutungamiri stated.
EMA’s concerns coincide with a cholera outbreak in the capital, with Harare reporting over 300 cases to date.
