Poor management of solid waste has been singled out as the major force accelerating environment pollution in many parts of Dar es Salaam.

A two-week survey by The Guardian has established that management of solid waste was a big headache in Kinondoni, Temeke and Ilala districts.

Inadequate collection and disposal of solid waste poses a serious health risk to the residents in areas such as Manzese, Buguruni, and Tandale.

The survey found huge accumulation of solid wastes-plastic materials, food remains, and other types of waste in many streets of these areas.

’’It’s residents who should bear the blame. Dar es Salaam residents knows where to dump their waste, but they had been carelessly throwing it everywhere,’’ Sarah Kifyasi, a resident of Kinondoni District, said.

In many parts of Dar es Salaaam, residents have developed their own dumping sites in Dar es Salaam, where they dispose solid waste generated from houses, institutions, commercial outlets and so on.

This is done contrary to the laid down environmental bylaws set out by municipalities.

But the question remains do the municipal councils have sufficient resources to ensure enforcement of the laws? queried one of the residents.

Recent studies show that municipal councils had been slow to respond to the needs of solid wastes management partly due to lack of resources.

Rapid population increment in Dar es Salaam has also been a headache.

Because of these problems, municipal councils have decided to involve private sectors, community-base organisations and youth groups in the collection and overall management of solid waste in their municipalities.

To curb the problem several community-based organisations have been established across districts and entrusted with the duty to collect solid waste from households and roads at a certain fee.

Most of the people in low-income settlements could hardly pay the fee, something that had prompted CBOs and private operators contracted to collect solid waste to cut off the service, The Guardian learnt.

"Common people living at"Uswahilini" areas are facing economic difficulties; they cannot afford paying garbage collection charges to private collectors,” said Crecensian Mwibari.

Because of lack of money to pay refuse collection fee, residents in these areas have been forced to continue dumping waste into rivers and drainage systems.

The survey found that some people in these areas still have misconceptions and perceptions that the management of solid waste is the responsibility of the City Council, and thus reluctant to pay refuse collection fees.

"I think, municipal councils had not conducted extensive awareness and education campaigns before introducing the waste collection charges," said Bashiru Abdul, an environmental expert from a Non-Government Organization (NGO), Agenda For Environment.

"People had to be educated that cleanness is not the council’s task, but the duty of every individual and communities," he said.

Other problems hampering effective collection of solid waste in Dar es Salaam districts include poor support from local government leaders, unreliable transportation facilities, and politically motivated conflicts.

Goodlucky Moguku said Dar es Salaam residents must be held accountable for careless disposal and collection of solid waste, as they throw out the waste everywhere.

It is wrong to continue blaming the regional authorities for something which is within our capacity. We, residents are responsible said Maguku.

John Msengi had a different view saying local governments should establish dumping sites in low-income settlements and public areas for easy disposal.

Extensive education and public awareness on the importance of decent disposal of solid waste is also important. In this area, we need creative local government leaders capable of designing programmes to educate and sensitise people on regular basis, he said.