– No Solutions in Sight
By Edwin M. Fayia, III, fayiaedwin@gmail.com
The looming environmental threats resulting from the surge in biomedical and hazardous wastes, some of which are toxic, demands very urgent and practical attention of the Liberian government and relevant stakeholders from all sectors of the Liberian society.
On top of the alarming nightmare and menace of the grave environmental threats to the vital marine biodiversity under the Mesurado River and the Bali Island itself, there are no genuine, practical indications of solutions from any statutory agency of government.
Ironically, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sometime ago issued stern warnings immediately prohibiting commercial and industrial fishing activities in the Mesurado River, the body of water on which Bali Island is situated in Central Monrovia.
That statement by the EPA also pointed out that biomedical and dangerous wastes being dumped into the river and Bali, had made the marine resources in the river unfit for human consumption.
Studies have shown that the Mesurado River is now polluted to the extent that those eating fish from it are at risk of contracting multiple water and air borne diseases, the EPA has revealed.
But, on a daily basis, small scale fishermen, women and fish traders are seen in the corridors of the Mesurado, carrying out commercial fishing and fish trading as usual, in flagrant violation of all the regulations and warnings from agencies of the Liberian Government.
Every year during the course of the heavy rains in Monrovia and its environs, the EPA statement added, hundreds of wastes are swept from North, East, West and South of the capital and dumped into the Mesurado River.
Similarly, the EPA noted that such practices are also carried out in unprotected wetlands and mangrove swamps in several parts of Monrovia; thus threatening the ecosystem and its biodiversity.
Reliable information gathered by this news organ revealed that the EPA warnings and serious concerns raised continue to be ignored and swept under the table by top relevant government officials.
Besides, residents and business entities operating in the mouth of the Mesurado River continue to use it for open defecation thus further contaminating the entire river and exposing its vital marine resources and biodiversity at large to more danger at the highest level.
Henceforth, the fate of the more than 100,000 inhabitants mostly fishermen, women and their dependants, hangs in the balance as the multiple wastes from central Monrovia and its environs hit the shores of West Point, consequently increasing health risks and related sanitation challenges.
Regrettably, to add insult to injury, the government in partnership with the Indian government are poised to do huge construction works for a multipurpose building that the Liberian government says would host around 4,000 persons.
In spite of the extensive outcries by environmental and human rights groups in and out of Liberia, reliable sources hinted this news outlet that the project will go ahead in earnest.
Government has been advised to consider another option: identify another viable land area and make same to the Indian government for the construction of that building.
Accordingly, civil society, human rights and environment groups as well as urban planners have also warned the Liberian government of the anticipated isolation that would characterize the unfriendly environmental venture in the country.
The angry, disenchanted local environmental and human rights institutions pointed out that posterity will indeed judge those that will initiate such grave threats on the youth and future generation.