Uncontrolled Waste Management Practices in Freetown and Their Effects

Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, is the most populous city in the country. More population in an area means more waste generation, and this is true in the case of Freetown.

Most people generate waste and don’t have any appropriate ways of disposing of the waste they generate; hence, this has led to the uncontrollable dumping of waste within the township of the city.

The methods of disposing of waste vary from individual to individual; this also applies to seasons. Some individuals prefer to dispose of their waste on the streets of Freetown, while others prefer to dump the waste in the ocean.

In the dry season, a loom of smoke can be seen all over the city as a result of the massive burning of waste around different areas of the city; this is much more frequent in the eastern part of the city. And of course, this is responsible for so many respiratory diseases.

On the other hand, during the rainy season, people do throw their waste in the drainages whenever it rains in the city.

This high accumulation of waste in the drainage system leads the water to find a path for itself to get through. This method of waste disposal is often practised by residents living in hilly areas of the city.

The residents living around the shoreline typically dump their waste in the ocean. There are other groups of people that generally roam indefinitely around the township of the city.

All of these actions have effects on the residents and the environment at large. People who practice uncontrolled incineration are being affected by air pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere.

These air pollutants have led to the outbreak of several airborne diseases.

On the other hand, those that do dispose of their waste in the ocean have caused marine pollution, which has led to the destruction of marine life.

In some cases, the ocean brings the waste back to the beaches, making the beaches very unpleasant for recreational activities.

The waste that has been deposited randomly on the street normally makes its way into the drainage system. Hence, disturbing the normal passage of water in the gutters, this, in turn, will lead to an overflow of water on the streets of Freetown, and in some cases, this situation will develop into flooding.

All of these uncontrolled means of waste disposal have adverse effects on us and the environment. Residents should be cautious while disposing of their waste, as some of these effects might have devastating impacts on the nation.