Pomona dumpsite burns horror

MANY Zimbabweans have watched in horror pictures of Chinese cities covered in smog with people walking around wearing face masks to counter the effects of the dirty air.

For a number of Harare residents, this came close to home last Sunday when the Pomona dumpsite caught fire.

Pomona, the capital's largest dumpsite, is close to the leafy suburbs of Borrowdale and Marlborough where some of the capital's affluent residents stay. It is also a stone's throw from Case Plan Farm — a division of President Robert Mugabe's Gushungo Holdings.

While the city struggled to douse the flames, residents close by lived a nightmare.

Tichaona Muganhiri, a guard at Mugabe's farm had his working conditions drastically changed as he had to shift from his main gate guard house to the farm sheds to avoid the smoking dumpsite, which is 20m from his work station.

"We are being affected by the smoking dumpsite, especially our breathing. We now fear that we might contract lung diseases or a cancer from the unclean air," he said.

"We had to shift from the main gate, our normal duty station that is close to the dumpsite to these sheds as the smoke had become unbearable."

The smog has not only affected employees at the farm, but also families, especially children living at the compound.

Krisha Kapangami, a worker at the farm spoke about how his children's routine had been changed since the fire broke out.

"We are facing a problem with our children. We have to take them away from the smoke when the wind is blowing this side," she said.

"Our children are no longer living normal lives because of the smoke, they can no longer go out to play."

The smoke is also affecting the health and sleeping patterns of his family.

"My kids are always coughing since the fire started. At its peak, we had to cover our mouths and nose with wet towels for us to sleep," Kapangami said.

Residents also said both the Environment Management Agency (EMA) and Harare City Council had not addressed them since the disaster started.

"Neither the city council nor EMA officials have come to address us about what is happening," Kapangami said.

"We have only seen some emergency services personnel who came asking for some water to douse the fires."

Pomona, Borrowdale, Mt Pleasant and Marlborough residents were also complaining of the unbearable smell emanating from the burning dumpsite.

People who used to survive on scavenging at the dumpsite have also disappeared as both the smoke and smell were now a deterrent.

The city council has also been warning motorists using Alpes Road to be careful or to use alternative routes to avoid passing close to the smoky dumpsite.

The decision meant that commuter omnibuses now had to skirt around the farm, leaving commuters to walk for nearly 2km to Harare Drive to get public transport.

EMA spokesman Steady Kangata admitted that they had not addressed residents close to the dumpsite but they broadcasted a statement.

"We did not address them specifically, but we broadcasted our message to the wider audience beyond the immediate environs of the dumpsite," he said.

"The smog was affecting a large area up to Westgate and Bluffhill areas depending on the wind direction."

Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni was becoming a worried man as the council by Friday had failed to meet its deadline to douse the flames.

The situation was only saved by the rains that pounded the city on Friday night and yesterday morning.

"Firstly, it was evident the Friday target was going to be missed and God sent the rains with no GPS [global positioning system] — it appeared to be missing the dumpsite," Manyenyeni wrote on his Facebook page yesterday morning.

"I went to Pomona at 9pm after the half-expected news that the victory date had been deferred to after the week end."

The mayor added the rains came to the rescue of the city.

"To the Greater Glory of God… the rains have always been in our prayers, not in our plans," added the mayor.

Finally, the fire is nearly out and the city has to start strategising on how to deal with the disaster in future.

It still faces sanctions from EMA for polluting the environment.