Open dump sites need govt attention, official says

OPEN dump sites in Papua New Guinea remain an environmental and health threat and need immediate Government attention, an official says.
Manager for infrastructure utilities and convention with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority Veari Kula said new technologies needed to be introduced for management.
He said work in the waste infrastructure was usually a Government-private partnership but was being led by private businesses.
Kula said regardless of that, it was an area the Government needed to step up to put funding to support the private sector in waste management infrastructure.
“Open dumps are our biggest problems and we need to start rehabilitating and upgrading them,” he said, highlighting air and water pollution as major concerns.
Kula said urban local level governments were responsible for municipal dumps, working together with provincial authorities.
He said by-laws set by respective governments would govern the use of these dumps.
“These authorities need to set their enforcement or monitoring mechanisms and implement their laws.”
“But if you need to set up a system like that, you need to provide money to fund resources as well.”
Kula referred to the National Capital District’s upgrade of the Baruni dump site with the Japan International Cooperation Agency as the example of proper Government-private partnership.