The Red-Light commercial district in the Monrovia suburb of Paynesville and the Waterside, Duala and Rally Time Markets in the centre of the Liberian capital are engulfed in stench and squalor of uncollected garbage wastes.
Some of the stockpile of rubbish have been there for weeks and even months.
In most populated Montserrado County, two prominent municipal government officials of Monrovia and Paynesville cities are again reminding Liberians, visitors, business people and foreign residents that mountains of stink garbage are awaiting them during the pending New Year’s celebrations.
True to the prediction and assertion of several media outlets before the just-ended Christmas celebrations, residents, traders and visitors celebrated the festivities amid stench of rotten garbage stockpile in the cities of Monrovia and Paynesville.
In the heart of Red-Light Market, Liberia largest commercial hub, heaps of garbage remain uncollected by the sanitation and environmental departments of the two municipalities in Montserrado County.
Notably, all the entry points to the Red-Light Market are now engulfed with mountains of rotten garbage, something that needs the urgent attention of the head of the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) and her staff.
Unfortunately, Red-Light Market traders have are triggering another environmental fallout by burning the large amount of uncollected garbage.
Such action on the part of the Red-Light Market traders is sure to trigger pollution that may further heighten the sanitation crisis in the Paynesville area and its environs.
At the same time, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when contacted on Wednesday expressed concern about the action of the Red-Light Market traders and residents who have started burning the uncollected garbage.
Health Ministry officials contacted Wednesday declined to comment and only hinted that they are monitoring the situation at the Red-Light Market in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
Prominent amongst the most grave and hazardous area is the plantain, orange and pineapple market of Gobachop where the garbage has been deposited for more two months in Paynesville.
“This is how the Municipal Government of Paynesville has without the sanity of human dignity decided for us to celebrate our Christmas and our expected New Year amid rotten stench and squalor,” plantain and pineapple traders told this news outlet in the midst of the rotten garbage.
Regrettably, urban planners told www.newspublictrust.com in separate interviews that the endless woes of the residents, traders, visitors and foreign residents continue unabated in Monrovia and Paynesville cities in Montserrado County.
The urban planners added that the health and environmental hazards being posed by the grave and unending sanitation crisis must be taken by practical horns that will in turn deliver tangible results by the municipal governments and sanitation companies.
They stressed the urgent need for the Urban Waste Management Program managers of the country should consider the option of overhauling the strategies by the relevant stakeholders and support partners. Such a move would bring about genuine improvements to the sanitation crisis in Monrovia and Paynesville.
Despite of the endless complaints and public outcries by affected residents, visitors and business community, concerned authorities are yet to demonstrate the practical will that would see genuine improvements in the collection and disposal of garbage from Monrovia and Paynesville.
The urban planners also urged the heads of the two municipal governments of Monrovia and Paynesville to rise above the fray of unnecessary arguments, vague rhetoric and bickering that had not improve the deplorable sanitary condition and end the sanitation crisis.
The endless exposure of the of the helpless petty traders, visitors and ordinary Liberians to the health hazard of the stench of garbage piles poses grave dangers to their health.
Practical actions are needed now in order to permanently address the hazardous environmental and sanitation crisis of Monrovia and Paynesville municipal governments and sanitation companies.
A day after Christmas, hundreds of business people showed up for their regular business activities at the Red-Light Market. But when they got there, they were visibly shock.
They said they were disgust and outrage and endless frustrations upon sighting depressing and insect breeding dumpsites in almost all directions of the Red-Light Market in Paynesville City.
Some traders and other business people in the area have been speaking out about this perennial mess.
Hawa B. Fahnbulleh, 44, importer of plastic dishes at the Duala General Market said the treatment meted out to both foreign and Liberian business people by the Municipal Governments and sanitation companies over the years are the greatest disgrace to the nation and its people.
“We have become perpetual friends and bed fellows of the stench and squalor of these rotten and dangerous infested carriers of all kinds of illnesses at this Duala General Market,” Fahnbulleh lamented.
Monrovia Waterside general merchandise businessman William Fahnbutu, 55, noted that the garbage situation of Monrovia over the years has overwhelmed the Monrovia City Corporation and its implementing partners sanitation companies.
What is needed urgently, Mr. Fahnbutu stressed is to change the current strategies of the garbage collection and disposal into more of practical actions such as the collection and disposal every day in Monrovia and its immediate environs.
Rally Time Wholesale charcoal dealer Cynthia M. Belleh, 38, intimated that she has for the ten years been doing business in the midst of the mountains garbage that continue to perpetually to spread and sending offensive over the goods and services at the UN Drive General Market in Monrovia.
At the rotten garbage infested Gobachop Market in Red-Light, vegetable and other perishable goods dealer Martha B. Sherman, 50, described the fast growing mini market as a nightmare home to thousands of multiple disease carrying area that needs very urgent attention by the Municipal Government of Paynesville.
“It is our fervent prayers and conviction that one day a saviour will come and save us from this nightmare of neglect, isolation and abandonment at this notorious and rotten garbage infested dumpsite at our Gobachop Market in Red-Light, Paynesville,” Madam Sherman asserted. Report by Edwin Fayia, III