Cameroon: Garbage bins deployed in cities find themselves in private homes ⁰

The general manager of HYSACAM, Ngapanoun Michel has said that the garbage bins that are deployed in our cities to ensure cleanliness find themselves unduly in private homes. In a country where people steal even what they do not need, hundreds of public bins listed in the cities of Douala and Yaounde, have been stolen by local residents, especially those with a capacity of between 120 and 360 litres.

The cities of Douala and Yaoundé, respectively economic and political capitals of Cameroon are the most concerned. These two cities have piles of garbage everywhere. Moreover, it is a significant shortfall for HYSACAM as a plastic garbage bin cost nearly 150 000 FCFA. In areas where the bins have not been carried away, they have all been destroyed by women roasting fish and maize who regularly dump hot charcoal into the bins and reduced them to ashes.

In Yaounde, the matter is more intractable as the access road to the Waste Treatment Centre including the garbage dumping areas within the site is completely blocked during the rainy season, despite the intervention of the Military Engineering Department.

By Sama Ernest with files from CIN