Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said Makokoba suburb remains the dirtiest suburb in Bulawayo while Entumbane suburb now ranks among the cleanest areas.

Last year, EMA named Makokoba and Entumbane suburbs as the dirtiest residential areas in Bulawayo.

Speaking during a media tour on Thursday, EMA Provincial manager Mr Decent Ndlovu said the agency has turned to churches to try and change the mind-set of Makokoba suburb residents when it comes to littering.

“We still have challenges with Makokoba but the situation has changed in Entumbane. I want to clear Entumbane, it is now one of the cleanest residential areas.

“They are now able to address waste and even cause the arrest of people who are littering or bring them to us,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said despite awareness campaigns held in Makokoba suburb, there is no change in terms of littering.

Mr Ndlovu said about 90 percent of people in the suburb are still irresponsible as they continue to throw litter everywhere.

“In Makokoba, waste management is still the same. We have engaged churches to assist in educating the people on the importance of keeping a clean environment. Makokoba is still a problem which we say name and shame in the media. Anyone coming                                 from Makokoba should consider himself/ herself a problem or liability to the local authority,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He commended Bulawayo City Council (BCC) for improving its refuse collection system which has resulted in the reduction of dump sites and litter in residential areas.

BCC environmental officer Mr Nkanyiso Ndlovu said the Community Refuse Removal Project (CRRP) initiated by council in June last year had started yielding positive results.

Under the project, truck owners with a capacity of between three tonnes and seven tonnes are engaged and they provide their own crews to undertake door to door collection of refuse with city council compactors collecting the refuse from a designated collection point.

So far 245 jobs have been created through the initiative.

“It has been observed that since the inception of the CRRP, the number of households that bring out their refuse bins for collection has significantly improved. This in turn has resulted in a reduction by 60 to 75 percent in illegal dumping,” said Mr Ndlovu.

“Truck owners have indicated that the project has improved utilisation of their trucks and they are able to net more than five times of what they used to before they were engaged under the CRRP.”

— @auxiliaK.

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