Buea’s residents had been facing a serious problem with their domestic waste until 2010, when the Buea Council came to their rescue and contracted HYSACAM to pick the municipality’s refuse. The town, which had progressed from a spotless locality to a filth-ridden headquarters of a Division, began to look like renovated. Ironically, the refuse problem in Buea is being kept alive by the very the people who first caused the problem of a dirty and unhealthy environment. In this exclusive interview, HYSACAM’s Head of Technical Landfill, Buea branch, Enjema Judith, tells The Green Vision’s Editor-in-Chief, Azore Opio, that Buea residents are stubborn and even the Council is not being helpful. Although the town is cleaner than before the advent of HYSACAM, it has lost its beauty due to garbage thrown about in front of residences. “We have placed trash cans in strategic places but the surroundings are littered with refuse. The residents tell us they throw their rubbish about just to give HYSACAM more work. Besides, parents are not thoughtful; they send little kids with refuse but the kids are shorter than the trash cans so they leave the refuse around the cans.” says Enjema, “keep your waste in the backyard until HYSACAM comes around to pick it.”
The Green Vision: When household waste seemed to spiral out of the control of the inhabitants of Buea, HYSACAM was called to the rescue.
Enjema Judith: Yes, HYSCAM was contracted in 2010 to collect 80 tons of garbage per working day. So between 2010 and 2014, the company was collecting averagely 80 tons per day. However, it was not a fixed quota as such; sometimes the company collected less, sometimes more. From 2014, we increased to 104 tons per day.
If I should take you around Buea, you will see bins overflowing with filthy refuse. Is it because HYSACAM is not respecting its part of the bargain?
We collect garbage at fixed points and at random. But we have come to realise that random collection is easier and more effective but expensive. However, the problem is the people of Buea. Although they appreciate HYSACAM, they are not cooperative. They say garbage collection is a HYSACAM affair. Then again, Buea Council is supposed to help with sensitization while HYSCAM takes care of the garbage but the council is reluctant to help us. HYSACAM is the expert in garbage collection and disposal, but it is the responsibility of the council to enforce the principle of hygiene and sanitation in its jurisdiction. Nevertheless, we have been carrying out sensitisation in secondary school and we soon embarking on a new campaign.
So, what are you doing about the lack of cooperation exhibited by Buea residents and the council?
The contract between HYSACAM and Buea Council is soon expiring, then we will sign up with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. This will make our work easier. That notwithstanding, we will continue to work with the council, which pays five percent of our expenses. We expect the council to help HYSACAM by sensitising the public and enforcing the good principles and practices of hygiene and sanitation. Limbe is succeeding with the help of council intervention.
Your landfill at Mossaka on the outskirts of Buea is said to be polluting the environment, particularly streams in nearby villages and CDC plantations.
Indeed, the leachate (substances from decomposed garbage) do enter the soil and streams. Studies carried out by some Geology students of the University of Buea indicate that some pollution occurs at the depositing point but at the end of the streams, there is little or no pollution because of the flow of the streams. There is rather more air pollution than ground pollution. To minimise air pollution, after dumping, we cover the refuse with soil to trap biogas emitted from the decomposing garbage heaps.
