Operation Chenesa yields results: Geo Pomona
THE all-out blitz on dumped and uncollected garbage in Harare under “Operation Chenesa Harare” has seen significantly more waste being brought to the Pomona dumpsite run by Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd.
During the first week of the operation, Geo Pomona took delivery of almost 4 000 tonnes of solid waste, ramping up waste stocks to be used for energy production.
While Mbare, Dzivaresekwa, Highfield and the city centre are the single main contributors of solid waste, a lot comes from the rest of the city.
Government launched the operation to clean out garbage in Harare as one leg of a dual-attack on the cholera hotspots in the city, the other leg being to increase water supplies. The twin programmes were in response to the rising number of cholera cases as Harare Metropolitan was now the national epicentre.
For the garbage clearing, trucks and earthmoving equipment were moved into Harare to clear huge heaps of uncollected garbage and for the improved water supplies, emergency financing was arranged to buy chemicals for the still inadequate water treatment plants in the city to ensure there was at least basic water supply needed for health.
Geo Pomona chief executive and executive chairman Mr Delish Nguwaya said the waste management company was working hand-in-glove with the Government to ensure waste is collected and processed.
“The Government of Zimbabwe launched the Chenesa Harare solid waste management blitz to curb the menace of uncollected rubbish affecting Harare.
“The operation seeks to address the gaps in waste management following the visit by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to Mbare. The blitz was launched on January 5.
“During this blitz, Geo Pomona is working hand in hand with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works through the national civil protection command centre in monitoring and recording the truckloads and tonnage being conveyed to the site by each truck,” Mr Nguwaya said.
“We have seen an increase in the tonnage of waste coming through to the site ever since the blitz commenced. In the first seven days of the blitz, we have recorded a total tonnage of 3 937 tonnes from 290 trips. The highest tonnage of 791 tonnes was recorded on January 11.
“The waste is being collected from Mbare, Dzivaresekwa, Highfield and the CBD to mention a few.
“This blitz therefore has led to the increase being received on the site and will ensure our vision to incinerate solid waste will be met.
“We will continue to monitor statistics of the waste coming through as this blitz progresses”.