Poor waste management worries market users

 Mzimba Market users have expressed concern over poor waste management at the district’s main market.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, a shop owner Isaac Jomo said poor waste management at the market is putting them at risk of contracting poor hygiene-related diseases.

“The council is reluctant to ensure that there is proper waste management at the market. Unfortunately, the only existing landfill is nearly full and this is forcing people to dump refuse anywhere,” she said.

Another market user, Enipher Soko, cast doubt at the possibility of the council fixing the landfill soon.

“Poor waste disposal has the potential to increase the risk of diseases such as cholera which the country struggled to contain for a year,” she said.

But M’Mbelwa District Council spokesperson Joel Chiheni Phiri said the council always ensures that the district is clean.

He said: “As council, we always clean our markets and make sure that waste is collected and disposed of.

“Our markets are clean and we have also intensified bi-weekly clean-up exercises as directed by President Lazarus Chakwera to ensure our environment is clean.”

Phiri urged residents to continue taking care of their markets to ensure clean environment which is conducive for trade

MANA