HOW TO CLEAN DAR ES SALAAM

How to? is a common  question to many people who are interested in learning new things. Personally I am accustomed to such kind of  a question since it  makes me susceptible towards grasping new ideas, gaining knowledge and tips on several things. Basically, humans and especially Africans are supposed to keep on learning new things so as to fit  well in this fast changing world especially in this age of cutting edge tech .For Tanzanians, we can clearly see by ourselves that we are so far away to see the Dream Land. Apparently, Dar es salaam is the central business city in the country but is currently  facing  a  huge sanitation problem that calls for immediate solutions to tackle it. The environmental peril which come as a result of  hinge on   poor sanitation manner lead to the city being swamped with several hygiene related diseases such as cholera outbreak that resulted to hospitalization of  more than 50 people and claim lives of  more than 2 people. .  The affected zones were  Ilala and Temeke Districts. It is absolutely clear that the city lack proper cleanness mechanism and  ways to execute it. Despite the fact that the  residents of Mwananyamala, Mbagala, and Gongo la mboto are waking up everyday and try to do the regular cleanliness but still waste keep on pilling up their homes. Among  a few companies  I know that are engaged in cleaning the city are the Eco Protection,  Green West Pro. Dar es salaam with the estimated population of 4.10 Million people has a big challenge in keeping the city clean. I have just few solutions on how to cut down the 3100 tones of waste and discard them safely without harming our precious mother nature.

It all begin at homesteads  where we wake up  and take off to school or work. Before these people engage themselves with their daily activities they do several things which the environment feels the pinch when we clean our selves some of us pour water out on the open, channeled to the streets containing pollutants harmful to us the generators and others. We buy bread and locally made buns for breakfast, in most cases the plastic bags  that  are used to wrap the buns,  are  not disposed accordingly exposing our environments to pollution  . Such small things do count and emerge as causatives of sanitation negligence, if a person is not well managed at his home place, if a man’s belongings are shabby is clear that out there where he passes in the streets he wont mind if he discard an airtime card or a plastic bottle away from a waste bin . What if we had 3 million such persons living in Dar who will point a finger and scorn each other for their littering Wont?

Everyone living in this busy city needs to know that when the environments take no more pain from us it will unleash its wrath which will affect  both the poor and rich. The first step in cleaning Dar es Salaam  is to ensure that households care  is concerned especially domestically generated solid waste , liquid and Gas, . There is no need of using a new plastic bag every time we shop for home supplies. Despite the fact that the bags are not recommended by environmental authorities but their production and sales still increasing. Reusing those bags will reduce number of  non-decomposing plastic bags thrown in the streets, hence cut off of  efforts and cost spent in  waste management. Recyclable plastic are the most appropriate infallible way to deal with the bags roaming our homesteads,. Recycling kill two birds with one stone. First it leave the City clean and secondly provides jobs.I rarely see  plastic bottles which are crushed or even in a good shape in Dar these days being discarded , why? Because is money, waste turned to wealth it ease the load of waste that collectors encounter along the roads. However such recycling points can’t be of use if are not aided with updated tech and  funds the more we recycle the less waste in the streets and the more Dar shines.

Dar needs to live on strict a law, that’s the only way to reach to the top of the food chain. In many cases I have witnessed people discarding grainless maize cobs, plastic bottles, plastic bags through buses windows, when they walk, even in learning institutions where we rain our bright minds. Littering laws should be strict and adhered; authorities responsible to supervise laws should keep their work on a straight line as heavy fines should be laid upon litters without blinking. Our neighbor state Rwanda has managed to keep Kigali clean with strict laws which keep everyone at stances which littering is not an option. There are many street traders, hawkers, and shop owners in this city they should be at the core part of cleanness in their area of business if the area makes money for them then it should be Clean always not only them but also the Central business district which accommodates many business men and women like kariakoo market, which every time I pay a visit nothing seems to have changed apart from crowds of people growing in number. Every successful attempt begins with a determination if we are determined to clean our homes and work places regardless of their shapes and basically our beloved busy city then we shall ripe what we planted. More stakeholders in waste collection should come out and get involved.  An environmental officer that am very fond of told me that; there is money in waste, what an irony. After few seconds of digesting his words I knew what he was relaying to me. Without mincing words some companies don’t see Gold when it served on their Tables, waste is a mine which has an enormous deposit of  gold because waste is generated daily  and as long as Human race survives thus we need to have more companies to help the present ones in collecting, transporting and disposing waste generated. It is shame that the government spent 1.8 Billion to combat cholera which is caused by Poor sanitation specifically Dirtiness.

Attitude change is the most core part involved in cleaning Dar us as dwellers of this Central Business Hub city without being positively aligned nothing can be achieved especially involving a matter of such magnitude, I have observed how people treat sanitation matters over Money related issues without knowing how worse it is living in a Poorly environmental managed city with rapid urbanization and population growth booming annually.  Leaving the environmental managing mechanisms aside , the real portrait that has to be  painted and displayed is the political will. Actually as we are in the   Boil Draining term, I think it is the right moment to emerge victorious in such delicate matters that require leadership finesse and extreme professionalism which has to be excluded from mere political moves secured to make voters Elated.

Honestly I face hard time figuring what kind of a city Dar es salaam is, when i walk along the Sam Nujoma road to Mwenge observing a lot of discarded waste such as plastics and papers, sometimes carcasses in sacks greeting me with unbearable smell. I do believe if we all play our cards right we will make Dar clean and ensure the Hygienic safety our children whom will pay for our  mistakes in the future or Praise and prolong the environment that is livable .As matter of fact we are in the era where industrialization is booming from Americas and England to China and South Africa , by hard work and determination Tanzania will join the industrialized family too, so if we are still living in a city with cattle carcasses along roads, sludge channeled from homesteads flowing down the streets and actually nothing is seems to change really we are not ready to face the big picture. National Environment Management Council should address this environmental peril with swift Measures, because major environmental issues cant be attained if such indispensable matters a not accounted.

From mothers and fathers at home teaching daughters and sons, brothers and sisters nurtured to be the future leaders of our growing nation, to the intellectuals expected to change the society. Let us all join the fight against dirtiness. It has been too long and sickening sharing our lives with waste. Let us all scorn and teach our youngsters when hurt mother nature, urge our peers to care for our environment, brightest minds in learning institutions come forward with solutions towards sanitation, because it means a lot to make Dar clean  than to discard a plastic bags and fruits peels.  If we just care enough like the way we urge our daughters not to carry babies in their bellies when they are not grown, or on very common stance when we care much for our third palms (smart phones), please pass that love to mother nature she needs it also.

---