WINDHOEK – Although the Ongwediva Town Council says it is generally satisfied with the town’s state of cleanliness, there are numerous challenges in maintaining the hygiene of the town.
Andreas Uutoni, the spokesperson of the Ongwediva Town Council, said in a telephonic interview with New Era yesterday that despite mitigation measures in place inhabitants continue to litter.
Uutoni said: “We have a problem with littering. We have motorists who are throwing things out of their vehicles.”
He added that some business people also do not deposit refuse in the skips (open-top containers for refuse) that the town council provides.
“Business people are not depositing all their refuse in the skip containers. You find boxes and plastics placed next to the skip containers while they (skips) are empty,” lamented Uutoni.
Furthermore, he noted that some inhabitants of the town illegally dump building rubble at any available place and space.
“Instead of getting quotations from the town council (to clear the building rubble) they opt to dump the building rubble at any open space even in the oshanas (water pans) and they do it at night or during weekends. But there are designated dumping sites for these things,” said Uutoni.
But the town council has measures in place to keep the town as clean as possible, Uutoni stressed.
He pointed out that the division of environmental health in the municipality is responsible for ensuring the town is in a hygienic state.
“We have a public-private partnership with local entrepreneurs where we source out the removal of garden and domestic refuse. We have people who pick up litter as well as sweep the road,” he said.
There are four contractors responsible for maintaining cleanliness. There is a contractor responsible for removing domestic waste twice a week. Also, there is a contractor responsible for removing garden refuse twice a month, Uutoni stated. Furthermore, business waste is removed twice a week, he added.
“We have 40 skip containers at big businesses in the town such as the two malls (Oshana and Marula malls),” explained Uutoni. Furthermore, he explained that businesses and schools in the town have two skips each.
“It is the responsibility of the municipality to empty the skip containers,” said Uutoni. He emphasised that roads are swept every day while each winter the town council implements a de-bushing campaign.
“We spend a lot of money,” Uutoni said when asked how much the town council spends on cleanliness.
Each contractor is paid N$23 000 per month.
In addition, the town council spends between N$35 000 and N$40 000 for the de-bushing exercise, Uutoni pointed out.
“The cleanliness of the town can be seen by any person who is not a resident of Ongwediva and it can be appreciated,” Uutoni concluded.