“We need to map a way forward that ensures that these fires are stopped,” said Shepherd Zvigadza, Director of the Zimbabwe Environmental Regional Organization and chairperson of the Climate Change Working Group Zimbabwe, in an interview this week.
“Dumpsites are almost everywhere in urban areas as people continue to dump litter on every open space”, he said, adding that this was mainly due to poor service delivery by local authorities.
Due to erratic garbage collection, rubbish garbage heaps are sprouting in open spaces and alleys and residents have had no choice but to burn the litter. This causes persistent fires that spew pungent smoke. “Such fires bring numerous effects that include air pollution,” said Zvigadza.
These fires are common at designated dumpsites, such the ones near Warren Park and in Pomona, adjacent to Borrowdale. Caterpillars and sand loaders have been summoned on numerous occasions to suppress persistent fires at these sites. Billows of smoke that sometimes engulf nearby suburban areas.
Environmental health experts note that the products of incomplete combustion (PICs) from dumpsite fires contain a number of harmful substances, including carbon monoxide. Such toxic substances tend to be traced in the food chain. They can be found in the fatty tissues of animals, breast milk, eggs, animal milk and fish.
Post published in: Health