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Regional News of Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Source: GNA

Defecating in polythene bags - a major problem in Wa

Wa, Aug. 30, GNA – Defecating in polythene bags and on the floors usually around community waste containers, has become a common practice in the Wa Municipality, mostly among children.

The children, usually between the ages of two and 10 years were often seen parading these waste containers with polythene bags in which they defecate into before throwing them into the waste containers.

Those without polythene bags just drop their faeces on the floor beside the containers.

The practice had made the surroundings of the waste containers an eyesore putting the health of residents at risk as well as making the work of the waste management’s officers, very difficulty.

Mr Henry Bagah, a Chief Environmental Health Technologist at the Wa Municipal Environmental Health Unit, when contacted blamed the situation on the Public Toilet Managers fin the area for not doing their work properly.

He said the waste containers were under the care of the managers of the Public Toilets and they were therefore responsible for ensuring that the containers were properly managed.

Mr. Bagah said the toilet managers had been asked to allocate one squat hole each free of charge to children to prevent them from defecating around the containers.

He said through a public announcement, parents were not only told to let their children use toilet facilities, but were also advised to get their children chamber pots to use after which they could be emptied into the toilet.

Mr. Bagah, however, promised that the Unit would take up the matter again with the toilet managers to address the phenomenon.