A CRY FROM ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEES IN MBEYA CITY!!

Mbeya city has wards environmental committees which were formed in 2007 but they don’t have full mandate in operation as their cry. The committees comprise of members from each street within the ward. They were formed in order to supervise the environmental conservation and protection.

I visited Ruanda and Ilomba wards environmental committees where I met with its members from streets. The environmental committee members directed their cry to the Mbeya city council on the environmental department especially to the City Environmental Management Officer, health officers and local community.

There is no cooperation and collaboration between City Environment Management Officer and these committees as the evidence they have never had a chance to meet with him and discuss the environmental issues in their areas. The City Environmental Management Officer had never conducted an open meeting or a seminar concerning the environmental issues .There is no cooperation between wards health officers and environmental committee’s members. The health officers don’t visit the street to provide health education such as on the use of standard toilets rather they are operating more on hotels, bars and butchers.

They claimed that when they visit the streets on their environmental operation and tell people on how to conserve and protect the environment they are being ignored. As the evidence from Mr Daimon Kaboneka encountered this challenge and he was responded by one of the ordinary person that” Who are you to tell me what to do in conserving and protecting the environment, I always speak with people having high socio-economic status.”

The skip bin are becoming full but the City Municipal Vehicles are not collecting them on time this can results into eruption of diseases such as cholera. Mr Mageni Raphael insisted that in Mtoni street, Sinde primary school is near the skip bin, it was decided once that the pupil should continue to be on holiday because their health will be at risk since the skip bin was full and the Municipal vehicles were not collecting the garbage but later it was decided to be opened.

The unplanned settlement in Ruanda ward made people to lack areas to plant trees and sometimes the city council is providing them with tree seedlings that don’t match with their environment such as trees that grows into big trees.
Mrs Amabilis Lyombe from Ilolo witnessed to us that since these environmental committees were formed they have never had any meeting or seminars concerning their roles and responsibilities and to have environmental education. She continues to insist that our visit was the first meeting since they were elected to hold their position.

The wards environmental committees all over Tanzania should be looked at a wide eye on their structures and should be given full mandate so as to fulfill the desired goal of environmental conservation and protection.

Written by Neema Amon-YET-2011