As sight and smell takes over … SEWAGE STENCH TAKES OVER KING JIMMY, GOV’T WHARF
The disgusting sight and smell of brown sewage water along King Jimmy market and Government wharf is causing a big embarrassment to traders and visitors as well.
Government wharf and King Jimmy which is situated in the central business district of Freetown hosts over a thousand visitors a day. Near the Maritime House, there is a giant pipe pouring brown sewage directly into the sea.
This situation has caused big embarrassment for market women along King Jimmy and officials of the Marine time administrator along Government Wharf as sight and smell is no more unbearable for them.
Investigation gathered by SALONE TIMES indicated that the sewage directly comes from offices and domestic houses in the central business district of Freetown.
"For us to eat our food where we are selling our business is a problem. The smell has taken over the entire market. We are tired of this situation," Fatu Kargbo one of the traders at King Jimmy market told SALONE TIMES.
She went on to say that they have made several complained to the Freetown City Council about the situation but their complained fall in deaf ears.
At King Jimmy market the sewage is running through the floor of the market to the sea due to blockage.
When contacted, the Freetown City Council referred SALONE TIMES to the Freetown Waste Management Company as they are responsible for such. The General Manager of that company, Sulaiman Parker said he inherited the situation. "In any part of the world sewage facilities always go with a sewage treatment plant. That treatment plant is normally located at the exit point. It is a chamber where all the faeseas are calculated and some kind of process is done to treat it," he said.
He pointed out that sewage treatment plants neutralize and deactivate the chemicals found in the sewage water. They work by relying on the bacteria that is found in our colons, which eat away the nitrates, phosphates and organic matter that is found in sewage.
"But unfortunate in our situation there is no treatment plant, it is direct deposit to the sea. These plants can be expensive to build and operate for many governments, but there are cheaper alternatives which rely on nature to do most of the work. This is done by rebuilding or restoring wetlands, because the plants and bacteria found in the wetlands will do the same thing that bacteria in standard sewage treatment plants do. This helps the environment in two ways: restoring wetlands and treating human waste water before it pollutes the natural waterways."
He added 'we definitely cannot handle it by ourselves because what we have now was constructed around the 60s with a less population then."
Mr. Parker went on to say that King Jimmy market lack treatment plant. "King Jimmy situation is due to a serious abused by the youths in that area,"
He explained further that people have erected makeshift in those area and they are now using the sewage storage facility as their personal toilet during the day as a result of that they are depositing all kind of unwanted materials which are not suitable to be deposited that is affecting the pipe line . "We have clean it times without number, we have complained to government but yet still the situation is the same," he said.
Mr. Parker pointed out that until such structures are demolished the problem will still be there. "We can't go there and clean a day or two just to meet the same thing again. The problem needs to be solved once and for all by removing the squatters," he said.
When asked about the use of the revenue collected on sewage Mr. Parker "The revenue collected is for maintenance of the system when we notice that we have blockage in the streets but to take care of sewage plant is not small money,"
The allegation of Mr. Parker on the youth in King Jimmy market was quickly denied by the youth in that area according to them the Freetown Waste Management company is not paying proper attention to do their work but to only clean the top as if they have cleaned the entire storage. The youth said they mostly used the public toilet at the market or used the sea when they want to use the gent.
On the side of health risks of the sewage , Dr. Bah said bathers are at increased risk of contracting illness due to bacteria and viruses present in sewage effluent. Gastrointestinal disorders have been linked to sewage pollution, with viruses implicated as the cause.
"Shellfish strain water through their gills to trap microscopic plants and animals for food. If the water was contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, these could be consumed as food by shellfish. When eaten raw or partially cooked, these shellfish can make people sick. Certain fish in contaminated waters can accumulate high levels of toxic substances. When these foods are consumed frequently over a lifetime, they may increase the consumers' risk of adverse health effects. Detergents can cause liver and kidney damage, while sewage water carries diseases such as Giardiasis, Amoebic dysentery and Cholera," he said.
The closing of commercial shellfish beds due to sewage contamination can lead to high income loss. But this was denied by the Ministry Marin Resources and Fisheries, according to the director of Fisheries Mr. Bangura Sierra Leone fish is still value in the international market. He said they are constructing a jetty at Fisheries east of Freetown as a way of improving the treatment and handling of the fishes before it will reach the market.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation failed to comment on the issue but said there is a devolved function given to the Freetown City Council in relation to the health of the people and to ensure that there is a healthy environment.
Dr. Bah indicated that domestic sewage contains aide variety of dissolved and suspended impurities. It amounts to a very small fraction of the sewage by weight, but it is large by volume and contains impurities such as organic materials and plant nutrients that tend to rot. The main organic materials are food and vegetable wastes. Plant nutrients come from chemical soaps, washing powders, etc. Domestic sewage is also very likely to contain disease-causing microbes
Government wharf and King Jimmy which is situated in the central business district of Freetown hosts over a thousand visitors a day. Near the Maritime House, there is a giant pipe pouring brown sewage directly into the sea.
This situation has caused big embarrassment for market women along King Jimmy and officials of the Marine time administrator along Government Wharf as sight and smell is no more unbearable for them.
Investigation gathered by SALONE TIMES indicated that the sewage directly comes from offices and domestic houses in the central business district of Freetown.
"For us to eat our food where we are selling our business is a problem. The smell has taken over the entire market. We are tired of this situation," Fatu Kargbo one of the traders at King Jimmy market told SALONE TIMES.
She went on to say that they have made several complained to the Freetown City Council about the situation but their complained fall in deaf ears.
At King Jimmy market the sewage is running through the floor of the market to the sea due to blockage.
When contacted, the Freetown City Council referred SALONE TIMES to the Freetown Waste Management Company as they are responsible for such. The General Manager of that company, Sulaiman Parker said he inherited the situation. "In any part of the world sewage facilities always go with a sewage treatment plant. That treatment plant is normally located at the exit point. It is a chamber where all the faeseas are calculated and some kind of process is done to treat it," he said.
He pointed out that sewage treatment plants neutralize and deactivate the chemicals found in the sewage water. They work by relying on the bacteria that is found in our colons, which eat away the nitrates, phosphates and organic matter that is found in sewage.
"But unfortunate in our situation there is no treatment plant, it is direct deposit to the sea. These plants can be expensive to build and operate for many governments, but there are cheaper alternatives which rely on nature to do most of the work. This is done by rebuilding or restoring wetlands, because the plants and bacteria found in the wetlands will do the same thing that bacteria in standard sewage treatment plants do. This helps the environment in two ways: restoring wetlands and treating human waste water before it pollutes the natural waterways."
He added 'we definitely cannot handle it by ourselves because what we have now was constructed around the 60s with a less population then."
Mr. Parker went on to say that King Jimmy market lack treatment plant. "King Jimmy situation is due to a serious abused by the youths in that area,"
He explained further that people have erected makeshift in those area and they are now using the sewage storage facility as their personal toilet during the day as a result of that they are depositing all kind of unwanted materials which are not suitable to be deposited that is affecting the pipe line . "We have clean it times without number, we have complained to government but yet still the situation is the same," he said.
Mr. Parker pointed out that until such structures are demolished the problem will still be there. "We can't go there and clean a day or two just to meet the same thing again. The problem needs to be solved once and for all by removing the squatters," he said.
When asked about the use of the revenue collected on sewage Mr. Parker "The revenue collected is for maintenance of the system when we notice that we have blockage in the streets but to take care of sewage plant is not small money,"
The allegation of Mr. Parker on the youth in King Jimmy market was quickly denied by the youth in that area according to them the Freetown Waste Management company is not paying proper attention to do their work but to only clean the top as if they have cleaned the entire storage. The youth said they mostly used the public toilet at the market or used the sea when they want to use the gent.
On the side of health risks of the sewage , Dr. Bah said bathers are at increased risk of contracting illness due to bacteria and viruses present in sewage effluent. Gastrointestinal disorders have been linked to sewage pollution, with viruses implicated as the cause.
"Shellfish strain water through their gills to trap microscopic plants and animals for food. If the water was contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, these could be consumed as food by shellfish. When eaten raw or partially cooked, these shellfish can make people sick. Certain fish in contaminated waters can accumulate high levels of toxic substances. When these foods are consumed frequently over a lifetime, they may increase the consumers' risk of adverse health effects. Detergents can cause liver and kidney damage, while sewage water carries diseases such as Giardiasis, Amoebic dysentery and Cholera," he said.
The closing of commercial shellfish beds due to sewage contamination can lead to high income loss. But this was denied by the Ministry Marin Resources and Fisheries, according to the director of Fisheries Mr. Bangura Sierra Leone fish is still value in the international market. He said they are constructing a jetty at Fisheries east of Freetown as a way of improving the treatment and handling of the fishes before it will reach the market.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation failed to comment on the issue but said there is a devolved function given to the Freetown City Council in relation to the health of the people and to ensure that there is a healthy environment.
Dr. Bah indicated that domestic sewage contains aide variety of dissolved and suspended impurities. It amounts to a very small fraction of the sewage by weight, but it is large by volume and contains impurities such as organic materials and plant nutrients that tend to rot. The main organic materials are food and vegetable wastes. Plant nutrients come from chemical soaps, washing powders, etc. Domestic sewage is also very likely to contain disease-causing microbes
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