Beware of fish from sewerage ponds

Dar es Salaam. Residents of Buguruni area yesterday revealed that dishonest individuals have been fishing in the sewage ponds and supply the contaminated food in various markets in Dar es Salaam. The revelation was made when environment minister Mussa Azan Zungu visited the area. Mr Zungu who doubles as Ilala MP visited the area see for himself challenges people living close to the three sewerage ponds were facing. The Mivinjeni local government chairman, Mr Fadiga Legele said the residents were facing a myriad of challenges including strong and unpleasant smell emitted by the ponds, especially during the night. He said in the past, the ponds were being cleaned and treated regularly. “That hasn’t happened for the past seven years. There are also dishonest people fishing at night from these sewerage ponds. We tried to arrest them in vain. Our worries is the health of unsuspecting buyers of fish from these ponds is being compromised,” said Legele.

He said residents were facing accumulations of sewerage at the ponds, and their efforts to have the Dar es Salaam Water and Sanitation Authority (Dawasa) deal with the problem have not yield fruits.

Ms Pili Pazi said fish from the ponds were unsafe for human consumption, noting that once they get into the market it is difficult to identify them.

The Dawasa sewage department director, Ms Lydia Ndibalema said the dams haven’t been treated by pesticides, noting that however an automatic cleaning system using pests have been installed.

“The cleaning exercise becomes complicated when the ponds are full of muds, requiring reduction of the muds first for the system to work,” he said.

Mr Zungu directed Dawasa to provide the ponds with pesticides to treat the ponds.

“The government feels the pinch of treating its people especially for diseases which are contracted out of negligence. Nobody will continue coming if they don’t get the fish from the ponds, therefore something should be done immediately,” said the minister.