Geo Pomona hazardous waste landfill nears completion
A DELEGATION from FIFA will soon certify a state-of-the-art football pitch being built by Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd at Pomona in Harare as part of its up-market recreation facility, with the football section set for completion in a week’s time.
Geo Pomona Waste Management’s chief executive officer and executive chairman Mr Dilesh Nguwaya said a lot of progress was being made at the site which was formerly an eyesore.
“For the recreational area, we are constructing a state-of-the-art recreational facility that will consist of a soccer field, basketball courts, tennis courts, changing rooms as well as a restaurant. These are at an advanced stage with material having come through from Europe for the soccer field as well as basketball and tennis courts,” he said.
At the actual dumpsite, construction of a sorting facility to separate recyclable waste is underway and will be complete by the end of June.
Three landfills are being set up on the site for municipal waste, or ashes and the last one for hazardous waste.
A water treatment plant is also on the cards and will be used for irrigation and for use in the waste-to-energy plant.
“In this water treatment plant, water will be purified and used for irrigation of the lawn, flowers and trees, to ensure that the area is kept green and beautiful,” said Mr Nguwaya.
Geo Pomona Waste Management Pvt Ltd was also actively involved in Operation Chenesa Harare Solid Waste Management Blitz.
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.
The high density suburbs of Mbare, Dzivaresekwa and Highfield were the main contributors of solid waste.
Government launched the operation to clean out accumulated waste 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 in the Harare Metropolitan province.
For the waste clearing, trucks and earthmoving equipment were moved into Harare to clear huge heaps of uncollected waste 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.
Mr Nguwaya said the waste management company worked 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 waste affecting Harare.
“The operation sought 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 worked 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”.