‘Strain on team’

THE sudden increased population in informal settlements in Suva is straining the waste management team for Suva City Council (SCC). SCC chairman Tevita Boseiwaqa addressed these issues, highlighting the difficulties faced by the council’s waste management team in effectively collecting and disposing of increasing volumes of rubbish. “Garbage collection is not an easy job,” Mr Boseiwaqa said.

“There’s a lot of risks involved, we know that waste, in some form, is hazardous to us and long-term exposure is not good.” Mr Boseiwaqa said the rapid population growth in informal settlements is contributing to a substantial rise in waste generation. He explained that global standards estimate waste generation at approximately one kilogram per person per day.



With Suva’s population exceeding 100,000, this translates to an estimated 100,000kg, or 1000 tonnes, of waste generated daily. “It’s like a thousand tonnes a day. “So that’s a huge amount of waste.

“The challenge for SCC is the collection of those garbage and then transporting it from here to the landfill, which is at Naboro.” Mr Boseiwaqa further elaborated that the solid waste management budget constitutes a significant portion of the overall SCC budget, underscoring the financial strain associated with managing waste in the city. “But you know, Suva will grow and so that means we (SCC) are tasked with finding effective strategies to address the escalating waste management challenges.

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