Urban disorder: One billion F Cfa yearly to keep Douala clean
Urban disorder: One billion F Cfa yearly to keep Douala clean
The operational phase of the Douala clean program, which begins on October 31, 2023, aims at educating the city’s population on the need for better environmental and waste management .
It is about 9 am this tuesday, 24th October 2023. At carrefour Kilo-Bois des Singes in the Douala two municipality, domestic waste is littered on the floor, not far from a trash can that is half empty. Amina, a trader in the locality, pays the prize for this urban disorder. « My customers runaway due to the smell from the heap of dirt over there. Flies from the dirt heaps visit our food items and make it unhealthy», says Amina .
According to residents, this situation existed long before this trash can was deposited. « They started dropping dirt here bit by bit they were driven but they continued . It’s later that Hysacam( the company responsible for household waste collection in Cameroon [Editorial’s note]) just came and dropped their trash can here», testifies Mohamed, an inhabitant of the quarter.
It is a similar scenario few meters the place called rond point feu rouge Bessengue, in the Douala one subdivision . Clarisse H, a trader testifies that despite making personal efforts to render her surrounding clean, others work daily to render it nasty. «When I arrive in the morning I sweep, its people in vehicles who throw the dirt as they pass», she specifies.
Apart from dropping refuse out of the trash can, there is also the problem of its collection. «I have been here for the past eight months and it is really difficult. Sometimes they keep the heap here for a week, before they come and remove it», a resident abhor the situation.
In order to remedy the situation, the Douala city council has decided to put in place the program « Douala clean city! It’s possible », which is aimed at effecting a change in the behavior of the local population on questions related to urban propriety. «The operational phase of this program which begins on the 31st of October 2023 will deploy teams from the city council, municipal councils, defence forces, community leaders… to edify the population on the need to better manage their environment, their waste and also to respect the rules concerning the respect of urban order », explains Roger Mbassa Ndine, city mayor of Douala . He adds: «The city council on its part, in collaboration with the municipal councils will put in place the means so that the program becomes a success. We are putting one billion francs Cfa for each budgetary year, for the success of this program. »
Just that, this is not the first time the Douala city council is taking such an initiative . In 2021, the council embarked on a campaign to remove vendors from walk ways, which failed woefully.
Rex AFON, intern
