Written By | Jovita Hasto
Authorities say garbage is being dumped at night, leading to clogging and rotting matter that produces a foul smell affecting the Central Market and Taxi Park areas
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IBANDA
Authorities in Ibanda Municipality have warned residents against poor waste disposal after discovering that most open water channels have been turned into garbage dumping sites.
The worst affected is the channel separating ITODA taxi park from Ibanda Central Market in Bufunda Ward, which the business community has turned into a dumping site for domestic waste. The area now has an unbearable stench and flies hovering around rotting waste, yet people run businesses and prepare food nearby.
Authorities say garbage is being dumped at night, leading to clogging and rotting matter that produces a foul smell affecting the Central Market and Taxi Park areas. They have warned that offenders will be penalised.
Officials attribute the problem to residents dodging the shs5,000 waste collection fee charged by service providers hired by the municipal council.
Authorities Speak Out
Mr Uthman Ssebaduka, the Ibanda Municipal Clerk, said the council is not failing in waste management, explaining that most revenue collected goes back to maintaining sanitation.
"We collect revenue and 70 percent of it goes back to the community for sanitation. If you move around town, you will find garbage vehicles collecting waste. It is the behavior of the people that makes it difficult for us to work smoothly," he said.
He added that sensitisation efforts are ongoing but admitted that people remain stubborn.
Mr Fred Banywana, Ibanda Municipal Deputy Mayor, said enforcement will be stepped up, including possible arrests to set an example.
"As authorities, we shall embark on arresting them because the law talks about it. Water channels should be for drainage, but people are misusing them," he said.
Environmental and Health Concerns
Mr Robert Mwesigye, an environment expert at Ibanda Municipality, warned that poor waste disposal can cause flooding and silting of wetlands.
"When garbage is poorly disposed of, it blocks drainage. During rain, running water carries waste to water bodies, which is dangerous to aquatic life and causes wetland silting," he said.
Dr Julius Bamwine, the Ibanda District Health Officer, noted that poor waste management affects both domestic and clinical waste, with some health facilities dumping clinical waste in open places.
Garbage dumped in one of the water channels in Bufunda Ward in Ibanda Municipality
He warned that facilities without proper waste management systems will be closed. He also stressed the importance of separating waste to prevent health risks.
"People should learn to separate waste. Mixed waste produces a bad stench, is harmful to health, and creates breeding habitats for rats and cockroaches that carry germs to our homes," he said.
He added that poor waste management can lead to diseases such as typhoid and malaria due to breeding habitats for mosquitoes.
Residents Speak Out
Mr Steven Kazoba, a resident of Bufunda Ward, said people dump waste in channels to avoid paying the shs5,000 collection fee, often doing so at night.
Mr Silver Byamugisha, who operates near the channel, said many people lack dumping bins and resort to dumping in the channel, hoping running water will carry it away.
"As a result, there is a bad smell affecting the quality of air for breathing," he said.
