Inhabitants in overcrowded capital complain over submerging in rubbish

The existence of unlimited rubbishes in the capital, Kabul has raised concerns of the city’s residents as they are calling on National Unity Government to address the challenge.

They say that these rubbishes cause various diseases which the most victims are children.

“We could not open windows to let in fresh air in any of the rooms all through the summer,” the 40-year-old Hamid said. “The stink, the mosquitoes and the flies would not allow us to do so.”

The Ministry of Public Health calculates that Kabul’s residents produce some 3,500 metric tonnes of rubbish daily. Around 3,000 containers are placed around the city to collect waste, which is then gathered and transported to the Gazak area, 30 kilometers (20 miles) away, for burial.

But the current system cannot cope with the needs of the city’s five million inhabitants; its population swollen by migrants from Afghan provinces seeking better security and employment prospects.

Capital dwellers urge Kabul’s municipality to have effective programs on collection of waste.

Head of Kabul’s municipality accepts that the short-term challenges exist but emphasized that the municipality employees collect waste from all across the city every day.

With population of more than 5 million people, Kabul is one of the provinces of Afghanistan that has the largest volume of waste. But all believe that till people do not cooperate with government in cleaning their city, if would be very difficult to solve the problem.

Reported by Rafi Sidiqi