All of Douala’s waste is disposed of at Nyalla. Hygiene and Sanitation Company, Hysacam, is a company esteemed for keeping the town of Douala clean. Hysacam has over the years till now scraped the metropolis of every bit of waste, going from one quarter to the other ransacking every nook it can access to gather the remains of almost everything unwanted. Since the company went operational, Douala, which is the most capitalist in Cameroon welcoming tourists from all over the world, has resumed its prestige and dignity as a touristic hub. Like in other countries, disposing waste is a problem and the community of Nyalla is paying the price.
The Nyalla plonk is a mixture of acid containers, shoe polish, vehicle/cell phone batteries and kitchen and disposed of beside Genie Militaire. It spreads well over a distance of 300 metres and a height of over five metres. From the plonk originates a pungently disquieting odour. Besides lies a military base – less than 50 metres to it – and the Nyalla community separated from it by a 3-metre wide road. Its nearness to human habitation is due to over seven years now of continues plopping and the population which has rapidly expanded to engulf the dumping ground. Tchami Pascal, quarter head, said they live in a motley patchwork of flies and mosquitoes, strange dogs and other scavengers that visit the plonk, let alone the odour, which goes as far as 4 Km into the quarter, is a daily battle they are still to win. “The stench is intense as from 10 p.m.,” he added.
Most houses and wooden huts there lack screened windows and doors, exposing inhabitants to the nuisance of mosquitos and flies. Head of block, Mboutchouang Jean, said fish have died in River Dibamba as a result of impure water trickling from the waste. Many inhabitants said they are facing the threats of being dislodged by the garbage heap which is gradually advancing towards their homes. “We want the company to construct a road far into the area so that waste can be dumped far from its current place. Recently we asked Hysacam carry out immunization of the community and disinfection of wells. We are still waiting,” says the quarter head. However, Hysacam is spraying toilets and baths freely, offering mosquito bed nets freely and raising awareness.
