The access road to the Gosa solid waste dumpsite in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for some time, has really been a challenge to the management of waste. Contractors handling the job of refuse evacuation from the city centre have been confronted with the herculean task of navigating the dilapidated access road to the dumpsite as well as the internal road within the dumpsite, where they need to reach tipping platform in order to dispatch their waste.
Depending on the capacity, some of the trucks conveying waste to the dumpsite carry as much as 18 to 20 tons of waste and navigating the road is a huge nightmare especially during the rainy season. According to available information, about 1, 000 to 1, 200 tons of wastes are being deposited at the Gosa the dumpsite on a daily basis.
With the rains nearing full swing in the FCT which is usually envisaged to be the worst time to ply the road, the story is however changing for the access road to the Gosa Central Dumpsite. And just like the Gaduwa road leading to the NCDC laboratory in the FCT which was recently completed in record time, the access road to the Gosa Dumpsite is also wearing a new look.
For emphasis, the minister and his team paid a visit to the dumpsite early last month where it was assured that the road would be completed in 10 weeks when the rains would be in full swing. The main reason the minister visited the dumpsite, together with the Director of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Board and the FCDA executive secretary, was to ascertain that the road is being fixed according to plan and to ensure that all obstacles to its completion are removed.
It is therefore gladdening to see today that this very important project is coasting into completion, despite the distractions of the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic that is so far posing serious challenge to the resources of government.
Gradually, the rains have started to pour in the FCT and the contractors handling the project are working assiduously with the FCDA to ensure that the access roads roads are fixed within the stated time frame so that the city remains absolutely clean.
As was observed also, the road is being expanded to create more access roads into the dumpsite so that trucks can go in simultaneously from three different entry points. The access road has been remodeled to appear in the form of three fingers, so that waste will be done in three locations. This is to ensure that waste is properly disposed at the site, rather than having to queue up and dump wastes at the outermost parts of the dumpsite.
Another observation is that the FCT Administration has decided to make the road more concrete to withstand the heavy weight of the dump trucks and to ensure that the road does not fail. Each truck weighs approximately about 20 tons and the whole idea is that if you make it concrete, then the road would last long.
These laudable improvements on the access road no doubt underscore the seriousness that the current FCT Administration (FCTA), headed by the Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, and the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, attaches to projects that have positive impacts on the larger populace.
With the access road to the dumpsite now being asphalted also, it is expected that the turn-around time of vehicles that are bringing in solid waste from the city will be much faster.
Overall, the benefits of proper waste disposal cannot be overemphasized. Imagine a city where no large scale waste disposal takes place and consider how quickly waste would build up. This would cause a huge health hazard, as well as an environmental one since all types of waste, would build up. Streets would overfill with literal rubbish, and open spaces would end up being new designated tips.
Kudos must therefore go to the FCT Administration for prioritizing waste disposal as not only will this promote the health of the population, but it will also help to preserve the immediate surroundings.
As the city continues to grow, we need to improve on the efficiency of waste collection and waste evacuation to make the city safer for all of us.
Danladi Akilu,
Durumi II, Gaduwa District,
Abuja
