An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Enugu Waste Management System

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The paper examined the patterns of solid waste management in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria. Wastes are useless, unwanted and discardedmaterials. Solid waste problem started with urban growth resulted partly from national increase in population,No towns in Nigeria especially the urban and semi-urban centers of high population density can boast of having found a lasting solution to the problem of filth and huge piles of solid waste, rather the problem continues to assume monstrous dimensions. To urban and city dwellers, public hygiene starts and ends in their immediate surrounding and indeed the city would take care of itself. The situation has so deteriorated that today the problem of solid waste has become one of the nation’s most serious environmental problem. METHODOLOGY: The study is a cross sectional descriptive observational survey in which participants were interviewed to determine the pattern of solid waste management in Enugu metropolis. This was done by administration of questionnaires. Site visits, personal observation and in depth interviewwere also used to obtain data. This is because the sampling is done from a universe of clusters (streets), each street serving as a unit of sampling. The average weight of waste per house hold in the city were also assessed. RESULT: The study reveals that majority of the respondents were ignorant of the rate at which ESWAMA collect wastes from the streets. Awareness and attitude of individuals towards waste management is a critical step towards overcoming the challenges of solid waste management. There was no statistically significant difference in the opinion of respondents regarding the buildup of waste on the streets prior to disposal, across the three LGAs studied. Majority of participants had no idea where the final destination of waste that ESWAMA collects was disposed of, this exposes the nonchalant attitude of the coal city populace to environmental issues, particularly waste management problem, in the city. Most of the respondents did not know whether wastes are disinfected by ESWAMA or not however key informer's interview revealed that the waste agency does not disinfect waste in any way. Wastes are simply collected and dumped at the dumpsites without treatment. This is a dangerous practice as it exposes the public to all types of risks especially when medical wastes are dumped at the same site. CONCLUSION: Therefore the paper recommends that government should increase the number of ESWAMA personnel, staff, number of waste bin, compactor truck, provide waste bags to the society. More so ESWAMA should pay attention in every areas in terms of prompt collection of waste from dumpsites and not focus in some areas and finally, public enlightenment and participation in waste management enhances effectiveness in the generation, collection, storage and disposal of waste therefore all sections of the society must be educated and brought together to work as a team to experience neat environment.