INTRODUCTION
Management of municipal
solid waste (MSW) presents a serious challenge in Enugu State and indeed the
entire country. This is evident in the poor documentation of waste generation
rates, waste compositions, inefficient storage and collection systems, disposal
of municipal wastes with toxic and hazardous waste, indiscriminate disposal or
dumping of wastes and inefficient utilization of disposal site spaces. Increased
industrialization, sustained urban growth of large population centres and
changes in consumption patterns have resulted in the generation of enormous
amount of wastes ranging from biodegradable to synthetic wastes in Enugu metropolis.
Illegal dumping has therefore become the culmination of lack of proper
awareness as improper disposal and management of MSW in Enugu.
Illegal dumps in the middle
of residential areas generate odours and sustain rodents. While this is a
convenient way of waste disposal, the environmental consequences of this
practice pose challenges and implications that are destructive to “Human and
Environmental Health.†Some of the consequences are health related and include
direct spread of pathogenic organisms arising from decay of the organic
components of the waste. Others are environmental and include leachate
contamination of surface and ground water, especially in high water table
regions and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) implicated in global warming
crises. Odour and aesthetic problems have also become strong with growing heaps
of refuse. These issues, coupled with
the need to reclaim such lands for development purposes, have necessitated
research and development work into the development of alternative measures for
efficient and effective MSW management as well as the development of novel
disposal techniques distinct from the conventional method of land filling.
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