Noxious fumes engulf suburbs
Noxious fumes engulf suburbs
14 September 2010
published by www.herald.co.zw
Zimbabwe: Thick smoke has engulfed parts of Warren Park, Westlea and Tynwald in Harare after councils Warren Park dumpsite caught fire last Thursday.
Officers from the Fire Brigade and the citys waste management department spent the better part of Thursday evening and Friday afternoon battling the raging fires that sent heavy smoke into the skies.
The fire was only contained at around 3pm although fumes from burning rubbish continued to bother nearby suburbs.
An official with the City of Harare confirmed they had put the situation under control, but referred further questions to council spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi, who could not be reached for comment last night.
“The fire started yesterday (Thursday) and has been going on until this afternoon (Friday).
“Officers from the citys waste management and the fire brigade fought the fire the whole day. As of now the situation has normalised but we are still monitoring the area,” said the official.
A veld fire that swept the area on Thursday afternoon caused the problem at the dumpsite.
Environmental Management Authority spokesperson Mr Stead Kangata said they had informed council after being alerted of the fire. He said putting out the fire was giving problems because the site had a thick layer of uncompacted refuse.
Mr Kangata discouraged use of open dumpsites, calling for the construction of properly equipped furnaces and land fills.
“Local authorities, particularly large cities like Harare and Bulawayo, need to move away from open dumps and move to landfills. Landfills do not leave open air spaces that provide promotes combustion.
“This is the only way we can deal effectively with the problem of fire at dumps and the menace of rodents. Last year we had fire problems at the Pomona dumpsite. We will not be apologetic with local authorities polluting the environment.”
In 2007, the Pomona dumpsite burnt for weeks on end with the City of Harare failing to put out the fire. Noxious fumes polluted surrounding suburbs for nearly a month.
