Waste piles up in Conakry after landfill closure
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Africanews
Waste is piling up in the streets of Conakry since the closure of a major landfill after a landslide that killed 35 people. Collection services have remained disrupted for several weeks, exposing residents to deteriorating sanitary conditions, according to Africanews and local residents.
Conakry produces some 3,000 tonnes of waste a day, while collection services have been experiencing disruptions for several weeks. Waste collectors, who previously operated twice a week in some neighbourhoods, can now leave rubbish for two to three weeks, according to Africanews.
The closure of the former landfill followed a landslide that killed 35 people. Residents now say they dispose of their own waste, sometimes considering burning it, while worms have appeared in piles of rubbish, according to Africanews.
The Baritode site, in the outskirts of Coyah, was supposed to become the capital’s main landfill, but its distance and traffic jams make large-scale operations difficult. Siriman Condé, director of BCEIP Environnement, an SME specialising in waste collection and recovery, says access to a landfill is one of the main difficulties facing companies in the sector, according to Africanews.
Guinean authorities have begun rehabilitation work at the Dar-es-Salam landfill as part of a response to the waste crisis. Guinea has also launched the conversion of the Dar-es-Salam landfill.
