THE ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABLE FACILITIES FOR GARBAGE MANAGEMENT AND THE METHOD OF WASTE DISPOSAL IN THE KAILAHUN TOWNSHIP, EASTERN PROVINCE, SIERRA LEONE

The assessment of the available facilities for garbage collection and management is believed to be a major challenge in the growth and development of KAILAHUN town in recent times. The town council authority and other waste management institutions are making efforts to catch up with the growing demands of the town in terms of waste collection and disposal. The research was a descriptive research, taking cases of four sections of KAILAHUN town from which quantitative and qualitative data were collected. A descriptive plan was used to assess the challenges and threats associated with garbage disposal facilities in the town. The research work was done in four sections in KAILAHUN town. These sections are situated at different parts in KAILAHUN town. The sections are full of Children, young adults and woman in general. The four sections have an estimated population of 3,500 people according to the health center wall chart. One hundred and eighty five(185) respondents were selected from the sections in a proportion based on their hypothetical estimated population size. Respondents were selected by simple random sampling method. This was done by a simple lottery where in the names of people were written on pieces of papers with each paper put in a plastic bag and then shaken thoroughly at every stage for selection. The selected names were the respondents of the study. This method was repeated until the required sample size was reached. A well-structured questionnaire was prepared and administered to the selected respondents. The questionnaires investigated methods of the waste disposal in the selected settlement, availability of collection materials, distance of dumping sites from house, problems encountered by residents in managing their own waste. Due to the high level of illiteracy, residents in the township were therefore not well informed about the threats posed on their health by the poor garbage disposal. Hence disease such as malaria, diarrhea, typhoid, Lassa fever and dysentery etc are on the increase. Most people express unwillingness to pay for collection of garbage for final disposal and their garbage were left unattended to for quite some time creating unhealthy environment through pollution of the water sources, land air etc. Meanwhile, lack of equipment, personal and protective gear for garbage collectors were a problem that made garbage to litter the streets. Moreover, because of inadequate garbage collection in the township by the city council, domestic waste are left to pile in the street and or gutters which block even vehicular flow in the city as a result create health problems to the populace. The lack of adequate dust bins and suitable dumping sits in the township, most residents prefer throwing their garbage in the nearby river/stream, road side, gutter and or on the street at night. In addition, this will increase the economic cost of clearing those garbage’s from those illegal dumping sits and it will be of higher on the government.