By AlagieManneh
KMC Mayor yesterday shared his sadness with residents of Bakoteh after a fresh fire spewed columns of thick smoke and unbearable stench that sent some residents fleeing from their homes Sunday night.
Addressing a press conference on the matter,Talib Bensouda explained that his municipal police reported that three trespassers, identified as minors, were reported to have started the fire at the dumpsite.
“The dumpsite attendant informed the director of services and municipal police commissioner, who then notified the National Fire Service,” he explained.
Bensouda went on to lament that the issue of the dumpsite is his major headache and one that will define his legacy. “It is fair observation my legacy as mayor will be judged on my ability to effectively address the burning Bakoteh dumpsite issue. It is a national emergency”, he said.
The mayor said he had made campaign promise to sort out the dumpsite.
“I think it would be one of my biggest achievements [to make this dumpsite issue a thing of the past]. I will consider it a major legacy if the Bakoteh dumpsite issue is addressed. It is something I don’t take lightly. It is my biggest problem as mayor,” he said.
“We know that the people of Bakoteh are frustrated and tired. They have complained about this matter for the past two decades,” the Mayor added.
He went on to highlight some of his Municipality’s plans to address the festering menace. “KMC has already planned a number of interventions including a perimeter wall (which is the Council’s 2020 budget) and to work with a waste processing partner (of which we have eight interested parties) and locate a separate area we can develop a sanitary landfill.”
Buttressing his resolve, Bensousa said he has since requested the activation of an emergency measure(s) to start construction of a perimeter fence.
