Maputo, 21 Sept (AIM) – The Maputo Municipal Council has acknowledged that it is only capable of collecting collect 60 percent of the approximately 1,366 tons of waste generated daily in Mozambique’s capital.
It means that 40 percent of the waste generated daily in Maputo remains uncollected.
According to João Munguambe, Councilor for Infrastructure and Sanitation, speaking at a cleanup campaign as part of the World Cleanup Day, which mobilized over 500 volunteers from public and private institutions, waste management is one of the capital’s major sanitation challenges and “the solution cannot rely solely on actions taken by the Municipal Council.”
“We cannot manage what we do not measure. As the capital, Maputo currently generates between 1,200 and 1,800 tons of waste per day. Daily waste generation currently hovers around 1,366 tons and could rise to 1,382 tons per day by 2027”, he said.
The inability to collect all the waste produced means that hundreds of tons remain in the environment every day, particularly in drainage ditches, along roadsides, and in coastal areas.
According to Munguambe, in order to reduce the collection deficit, the Municipal authorities intend to reinforce the available resources, including the distribution of 100 new dumpsters to neighborhoods with the highest levels of waste accumulation.
Of the total, 80 are plastic containers with a 1,100-liter capacity, and 20 are metal ones with a capacity of six cubic meters.
The municipality also plans to reinforce its fleet with five additional trucks and maintain payments to the 45 micro-enterprises responsible for primary waste collection using handcarts.
However, Munguambe argued that city cleaning cannot be viewed as a one-day task or the sole responsibility of the municipality.
“Cleaning efforts cannot be a one-day task, nor the exclusive responsibility of the Municipal Council, but rather a collective and ongoing responsibility,” he emphasized.
He also explained that the construction of the KaTembe Sanitary Landfill is a key initiative to improve waste management in the capital. The facility is expected to feature systems for sorting, recycling, and gas capture for energy production.
The plan also includes the gradual closure of the gigantic rubbish dump in the neighbourhood of Hulene, on the outskirts of Maputo city. The dump in question caused, in February 2018, the deaths of 17 people when it collapsed as a result of torrential rains that hit Maputo city. The dump had been allowed to grow into a malodourous monster which towered over the houses built in its shadow.
Sérgio Covane, Head of the Environmental Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), stated that the solution to the waste problem also involves creating a network of treatment and recycling facilities.
According to Covane, Mozambique generates approximately 4.2 million tons of waste annually, with about 98 percent of it ending up in open dumps.
In addition to KaTembe, the Matlemele landfill in Maputo Province is currently under construction, with similar facilities planned for Nacala, Nampula, and Pemba.
The government also has 24 million Euros available, sourced from its own funds and partners to build three recycling plants for plastic, glass, and organic waste.
The cleanup campaign held at Costa do Sol beach concluded with the collection of 3.5 tons of waste, 1.2 tons of which consisted of plastic. The remaining collected material included bottles, paper, scrap metal, and other waste
“Isolated cleanup campaigns will not be enough to solve the problem unless they are accompanied by a change in citizens’ behavior. A litter-free city is not one that the municipality cleans every day, but rather one where citizens do not litter.”
Among the measures planned by the government is the regulation of a proposal to ban thin plastic bags by 2027 and to require large retail outlets to accept the return of certain types of packaging.
Authorities also announced the “Clean School, Clean Neighborhood” program, which is set to cover 100 schools in Maputo and Matola, aiming to involve students in raising environmental awareness among their families and communities.
Am/
