The Youth Chairman of the 1502 community, within Kesselly Boulevard, Julius Seekie, said residents of his community are faced with serious environmental issues that are causing health problems for the inhabitants. He said that when waste is mismanaged, it causes severe environmental degradation and human health crises. It contaminates the soil, water, and air with heavy metals and toxins, while releasing greenhouse gases like methane. He also mentioned that improper disposal affects human health, causing respiratory issues, infectious diseases, cancer, and reproductive problems, especially for those living near garbage.
According to the Youth Chairman, the huge pile of garbage in the 1502 community is causing a serious environmental crisis and health hazards for the residents of the Kesselly Boulevard community, which include air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and the spread of diseases via pests.
In an interview, he emphasizes the burning of waste, which leads to respiratory problems. He also mentioned that the mismanagement of garbage serves as a breeding ground for disease vectors, such as rats, mosquitoes, and flies, and releases toxic pollutants into the air, water, and soil.
The Youth Chairman emphasized that the improper disposal of solid waste and the mismanagement of garbage are significant drivers of infectious disease outbreaks, and the uncollected waste breeds insects, increasing the transmission of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, cholera, etc.
According to Seekie, wastewater that leaches from the garbage or the dumpsite contaminates groundwater; therefore, the handpumps near the garbage have been contaminated and are affecting residents living near and around the garbage. He also mentioned that the entire Kesselly Boulevard Community is affected by mosquitoes, which cause malaria, dengue fever, cholera, etc.
Moreover, Chairman Seekie further stated the improper disposal of waste; he said that the residents try to reduce the waste by burning it. According to the chairman, burned waste releases toxic emissions, causes respiratory illnesses, and the decomposition of organic waste produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas in the community, which is affecting residents of Kesselly Boulevard Community.
During the interview with Seekie, he also said the mosquitoes breed in stagnant water collected in discarded tires, plastic, containers, etc., resulting in the influx of mosquitoes, infecting the residents with malaria and fever. The people of Kesselly Boulevard are infected with plague and typhus by the fleas, and the rates from the garbage.
Furthermore, the Youth Chairman mentioned that the contamination of the groundwater with pathogens and toxic chemicals leads to waterborne and foodborne diseases, like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid fever, and salmonellosis.
Henceforth, the Youth Chairman of the 1502 community, Julius Seekie, is calling on the government of Liberia (GOL), through the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), and the Commissioner of Gardnersville Township, to please intervene in their plead and remove the huge pile of garbage in the community, as it poses serious health hazards and environmental risk for the residents of Kesselly Boulevard Community. He is also calling on the lawmaker of electoral district #12, and both local and international organizations (NGOs), to come to the aid of the residents of the 1502 community and Kesselly Boulevard Community.
