Jinja turning waste into manure
Oct 05, 2010
Jinja municipality has established a modern solid waste compost management facility. Although the municipality, with support from development partners, has provided garbage skips in a bid to address poor garbage disposal and ensure a clean town, there has been a problem of getting rid of the rubbish
By Esther Mukyala
Jinja municipality has established a modern solid waste compost management facility. Although the municipality, with support from development partners, has provided garbage skips in a bid to address poor garbage disposal and ensure a clean town, there has been a problem of getting rid of the rubbish.
The municipality generates about 200 tones of garbage per day. The waste is mostly bio-degradable, and decomposes after a few days. “The volumes of solid waste are fast increasing, but garbage collection and transportation to dumping sites is poorly managed and ineffective. Some dumpsites are inappropriately located, poorly managed and merely cause further adverse effects to the surrounding environment and ultimately to human health,†a document on solid waste management in Uganda said.
As a result, the World Bank has provided $350,000 (about sh700m) for modern technology to treat the waste and turn it into compost. The National Environment Management Authority is also building the capacity of municipal councils to manage solid waste as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Jinja municipality is one of the nine municipal councils that have set up solid waste compost plants. Others are Mukono, Soroti, Mbale, Lira, Fort Portal, Kasese, Kabale and Mbarara.
Nine other municipalities will participate in phase II of the project. Earnest Nabihamba, the project coordinator, who is also the Jinja senior environment officer, said: “By creating compost, we reduce carbon dioxide and methane generation. This would be easier if communities sort their waste.â€
He said the project employs about 30 workers. Nabihamba added that the municipality will benefit from three other projects to be implemented with funding from the Carbon Credits Fund through NEMA worth $20,000 (about sh50m). They are the construction of a 10,000-liter water harvesting tank at Masese Primary School, the construction of a health centre II in Danida Walukuba village, and the purchase of 200 charcoal-saving stoves for rural residents.
Wilberforce Kigumba, the site manager, said compost is safe for agriculture and was tested and certified by Makerere University. He observed that with the establishment of a compost plant, the town had become cleaner because garbage collection is done on time.
He, however, warned people who dispose of waste indiscriminately, and appealed to residents to have dustbins at household levels. Kigumba also called upon farmers to make use of the manure, adding that a tone goes for just sh20,000.
Jinja municipality has established a modern solid waste compost management facility. Although the municipality, with support from development partners, has provided garbage skips in a bid to address poor garbage disposal and ensure a clean town, there has been a problem of getting rid of the rubbish.
The municipality generates about 200 tones of garbage per day. The waste is mostly bio-degradable, and decomposes after a few days. “The volumes of solid waste are fast increasing, but garbage collection and transportation to dumping sites is poorly managed and ineffective. Some dumpsites are inappropriately located, poorly managed and merely cause further adverse effects to the surrounding environment and ultimately to human health,†a document on solid waste management in Uganda said.
As a result, the World Bank has provided $350,000 (about sh700m) for modern technology to treat the waste and turn it into compost. The National Environment Management Authority is also building the capacity of municipal councils to manage solid waste as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Jinja municipality is one of the nine municipal councils that have set up solid waste compost plants. Others are Mukono, Soroti, Mbale, Lira, Fort Portal, Kasese, Kabale and Mbarara.
Nine other municipalities will participate in phase II of the project. Earnest Nabihamba, the project coordinator, who is also the Jinja senior environment officer, said: “By creating compost, we reduce carbon dioxide and methane generation. This would be easier if communities sort their waste.â€
He said the project employs about 30 workers. Nabihamba added that the municipality will benefit from three other projects to be implemented with funding from the Carbon Credits Fund through NEMA worth $20,000 (about sh50m). They are the construction of a 10,000-liter water harvesting tank at Masese Primary School, the construction of a health centre II in Danida Walukuba village, and the purchase of 200 charcoal-saving stoves for rural residents.
Wilberforce Kigumba, the site manager, said compost is safe for agriculture and was tested and certified by Makerere University. He observed that with the establishment of a compost plant, the town had become cleaner because garbage collection is done on time.
He, however, warned people who dispose of waste indiscriminately, and appealed to residents to have dustbins at household levels. Kigumba also called upon farmers to make use of the manure, adding that a tone goes for just sh20,000.