My environment! My concern!

The impact of national cleaning to the environment.

It is now a norm in Sierra Leone that the first Saturday in every month is national cleaning day. The national cleaning is a day declared by His Excellency the President, Julius Maada Bio as part of his strategies to bring reform to the country health and sanitation sector; help to minimize the risk of flooding and environmental pollution and to improve good hygiene practices among citizens. The national cleaning has been on-going for over a year since the 5th of May 2018.

So much has been involved but most importantly is the impact of the cleaning on the environment. The environment is very key to the survival of life on earth, and without it, life on earth is impossible and so whatever concerns the environment concerns all. It is very clear that since the commencement of the national cleaning, most people now have the awareness to clean their communities and those responsible will later collect the rubbish(garbage) at different points/locations. Also, to some extent, the overflow of drainages has drastically reduced during the rains. There is no incident of major flooding in the city and other part of the country.

Notwithstanding the points scored, there are still shortcomings in the cleaning process. From observation, it is evidence that the dirt keep increasing each month as if there has never been any cleaning. Normally, late collection of filth on the street causes tense traffic after every cleaning and even the following days because some filth are abandon on the streets. The irony in the cleaning process is that we keep cleaning but the country is not clean. With such persistent shortcomings, one may want to ask if the national cleaning is really making progress.

On the other hand, people need to take responsibility for the waste they produce. It is said that Environmental cleanliness begins with each individual desire to be clean. If as an individual you don’t clean and take responsibility for the waste you produce, who should be responsible? Most people keep their waste for weeks even up to a month waiting for the national cleaning to bring those wastes out. It is true government has a part to play but it is certain they cannot do it alone. The government also needs it citizens to partake in the cleaning and development of the country. A Well-meaning patriotic sierra Leonean will not throw dirt on the streets or even drainages. The change starts with you and so be the change you want to see.

The continuity and sustainability of any project undertaken is significant to the result that the project will produce. The cleaning exercise by the government is a laudable one, and no one can dispute that fact. The government is spending Two billion Eight hundred and twenty-nine million one hundred and fifty thousand leones every first Saturday (2,829,150,000) in a month, disburse to Twenty-two (22) local councils which includes hiring of machinery like bulldozers, trucks etc. The million-dollar question is, will they afford to be spending that huge sum just on cleaning when there are other areas that need attention?

It is however worth noting that the national cleaning has decreased the momentum it started with. The kind of enthusiasm the government and people had is dying down as the months goes by. People are not too willing to come out and clean. What has gone wrong?

As an institution we believe that recruiting environmental monitoring officer who will be monitoring the environment and enforcing environmental laws will be a permanent solution. We belief the monitoring aspect is what is lacking in this whole cleaning exercise. The officers will be going round to ensure that people clean their environment and dispose there waste. It should also follow with hard laws and punishment. This will create jobs and reduce the amount government is spending on the monthly cleaning. Another remedy could be distribution of waste bins in homes for plastics and the waste is collected at the end of each week for little amount.

Government should also empower innovative youth who are using innovation to turn/convert plastic waste into useful products like tiles, bags etc. through recycling. By this, there will be drastic reduction of plastics around the cities and will also create employment.

Until this is done, the environment will continue to suffer the consequences of waste but if the recommendations are considered, it will lead to 30% decreased in the total amount spent on cleaning in the future and it will also generate revenue for government.

We believe that our environment can be clean if proper systems are put in place. System like recruiting environmental officers’ support recycling of waste, enforcing environmental laws and collecting waste from the source will help the sanitation of the country greatly.

Our environment is our life. If our environment is clean we will spend less on health, and we will live healthier. We can also get manure from waste which will increase agricultural production hence decrease in importation of food and more revenue to government.