Last week, the Monrovia City Government began enforcing sanitation regulations across the capital, arresting several people accused of violating city ordinances on illegal dumping, littering and other sanitation-related offenses.
City authorities have also begun inspections and site visits across Monrovia as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement and improve cleanliness.
This is a welcome move.
For years, major street corners and communities across the capital have been turned into makeshift garbage dumps, leaving piles of refuse, offensive odors and unhealthy surroundings for residents.
In some communities, people reportedly wait until nightfall to dispose of waste along prohibited streets and major routes, sometimes using disadvantaged young people to carry out the dumping.
Such behavior reflects a troubling disregard for public health, community responsibility and municipal regulations. It must stop.
We commend the Monrovia City Government for taking action. Keeping the capital clean cannot be the responsibility of city authorities alone. Residents, businesses, property owners, communities and visitors all have a role to play.
The ongoing campaign targets illegal dumping, littering, public urination and other offenses prohibited under the city’s sanitation regulations. Properly and fairly enforced, these measures can help restore order and improve sanitary conditions across Monrovia.
But enforcement should go beyond arresting individuals caught dumping garbage.
Communities, businesses and private property owners should also be required to take reasonable responsibility for waste accumulating around their premises. This would encourage residents and business owners to become active partners in maintaining clean surroundings rather than leaving the entire burden to the city government.
At the same time, enforcement must be fair, humane and consistent. Sanitation regulations should not become an excuse for harassment or selective enforcement. Residents must know what is required of them, while adequate and accessible waste-disposal arrangements should be available to encourage compliance.
Public education must therefore accompany enforcement. People need to understand where and how waste should be disposed of, the penalties for violations and how they can report illegal dumping in their communities.
We join the government in urging residents and businesses to comply with sanitation regulations and cooperate with authorities as enforcement continues across the capital.
The New Dawn supports the campaign as part of the city government’s broader effort to curb improper waste disposal and improve sanitation.
But this must not be another short-lived exercise that disappears after a few weeks of publicity. It must be sustained, fairly enforced and supported by effective waste collection and disposal systems.
A cleaner Monrovia requires more than arrests. It requires discipline, adequate sanitation services and a shared commitment by government and citizens to keep the capital clean.
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Source: The New Dawn (Liberia)
