Thu, 11 Jan 2018 09:18:21 +0000
By VIOLET TEMBO
LACK of public toilets at Masala market in Ndola’s Kabushi constituency is a source of concern as it poses a serious health risk to residents, a civic leader has said.
The civic leader said lack of a public toilet at such a big market was worrisome especially in the wake of the cholera outbreak in Lusaka and some other towns.
Speaking in an interview during a clean-up exercise with marketeers, Skyways area councillor Adronicus Ngulube said the only toilet at the market had been leased out to an individual who was charging K2.
Ms Ngulube said situation was a setback to the efforts being undertaken to ensure the area recorded no cases of cholera.
She said failure by the ward development committee (WDC) to secure land where another toilet could be built would force her to push for revocation of the agreement so that the fee-paying toilet could be reverted to the market for public use.
Ms. Ngulube thanked the marketers for cooperating by to closing down their businesses to clean up the trading area.
“Marketeers at Masala market have been cooperative and they accepted to close their businesses for three hours so we could clean up the market together. We want a clean environment.
“I admit that sanitation in the ward was poor owing to the indiscriminate disposal of waste and sewer spillages.
“And the other challenge is that the market has no toilet of its own. The only toilet has been leased to somebody who is using it as a business.
“Now if a trader fails to pay the fee to use the toilet, where are they be answering the call of nature from? This is what is worrying me because if a disease was to break out in the market, the surrounding communities will be affected too,” Ms Ngulube said.
And Ms Ngulube says the Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company has moved into the ward to work on the clogged sewer lines.
She said the contractor engaged for the project was on site and the process of lying new pipes had started. She assured the residents that before January month end, sewer spillages would be a thing of the past.
She said a committee had been constituted to sensitise the community on the importance of responsible waste disposal.
