The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Arua city health officials are seeking 100 Million Shillings to revive the operations of the garbage dumping site that has been idle for the last six years.
The site located four kilometers off Arua-Pakwach road was constructed in 2011 with funding from World Bank through National Environment Management Authority-NEMA to recycle garbage into manure.
Before production of compost manure at the site was halted, 20 people were employed by the then Arua Municipal Council at the site and they would produce between 50 to 80 wheelbarrows of compost manure each day, generating about 11 Million Shillings from manure sales.
Godfrey Apangu, the Principal Health Inspector Arua city and in charge of the garbage plant says that the breakdown of the only wheel and chain loaders at the site affected the production of manure. According to Apangu, to revive full operations of the garbage plant, they need 110 Million Shillings to among others clear the bushy surrounding site and turn over accumulated garbage inside the plant.
Sam Nyakua, the mayor of Arua city said efforts are in place to ensure that the compost plant resumes full operations and becomes self-sustaining through revenue generated from the sale of manure.
Charles Asiki, the former Mayor of Arua municipality expressed dismay over the delays by the City Council to revive the manure production.
With the failure to remit funds for Ayivu division to the city accounts for the last two years, there are fears that the recycling plant may become out of use as more garbage is now collected in the City and dumped at the same site without being sorted.
Paul Batanda, the City Clerk of Arua said once more money is remitted to the City Account, the plant will resume full operations. Some of the workers at the compost site have since resorted to sorting and selling manure they get on a small scale for survival as they wait for overhaul and resumption of full-scale management.
*****
URN
