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Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
Gweru City Council has said it requires $1,5 million for the construction of a new dumpsite, as calls for the decommissioning of Mutasa Dumpsite intensify.

The local authority has for long been at loggerheads with the Environmental Management Agency over environmental pollution at the dumpsite.

Gweru town clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza said they were yet to be given a suitable land by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement for the new dumpsite.

“Mutasa Dumpsite has been in existence since 1999, but has now been affected by peri-urban development through Woodlands Park suburb,” she said.

“We now need to relocate the dumpsite and construction of a proper dumpsite requires $1,5 million, yet we are currently financially incapacitated to do so.”

Ms Gwatipedza said the Mutasa dumpsite was now a health hazard.

“The dumpsite has become a source of pollution for the nearby residents,” she said. “Now that we are in the fire season, the level of vulnerability to fire outbreaks is quite high.

“The flies and insects around this area can also carry bacteria to the people and diseases like cholera and dysentery can emerge.”

Ms Gwatipedza said due processes for the development of a housing project was not followed by the private property developers of Woodlands Park, hence the situation was now an environmental menace.

“The peri-urban development of Woodlands Park, which is under Vungu Rural District Council, has negatively impacted our town planning structure as there was no Environmental Impact Assessment done prior to the housing project,” she said.