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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Harare City Council has said the Mbare biogas project, which is expected to solve the garbage problem in the suburb, is now 90 percent complete. The project is a partnership between the city council and Synlak and is expected to produce 200 Kilovolt-amps of electricity. The project received a 350 000 euro grant from the European Union. Acting Town Clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube (pictured below) told The Herald on Thursday that the plant will reduce the cost of carrying garbage to Pomona dumpsite in the northern part of the city and improve cleanliness at Mbare Musika.

“We expect most of the garbage which is accumulating at Mbare Musika to be consumed by the plant,” she said.

“This is going to improve the working environment at the market.” The city and Synlak are going to establish an 800 cubic metres bio reactor and install a generator, with the electricity generated being fed into the national grid. The plant will also generate organic manure to be sold to farmers.

Last year, the city’s environmental regulatory planner Mr Clifford Muzofa said residents will be expected to sort waste in their houses and take it to the bioreactor.

“This exercise will significantly improve cleanliness of the Chishawasha Hostels because the residents have actually said to us as soon as the project begins to run, they are going to be in the forefront,” he said.

Mr Muzofa said the city council will offer incentives to those who bring litter to the plant. “The main feeder of this project is Mbare Musika because from the studies we have done, it generates five tonnes of litter per day, which means in about 30 days it will generate 150 tonnes, that is a lot of waste, he said.