Population growth and the construction boom in Kabul over the past few years have resulted in the daily production of over 3,000 tonnes of solid waste. Some of this has been accumulating, causing serious health and environmental damage, according to Kabul Municipality.
The municipality reckons there is now a daily build-up of at least 300 tonnes of solid waste in and around Kabul city (109,500 tonnes annually).
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In fast-growing residential areas in particular, there has been a build-up of waste material, posing a direct health hazard to children who play nearby and/or those who try to eke out a living by scavenging anything of value from the rubbish tips. Wind and rain further spread pollution locally, say experts
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“Unsafe drinking water causes almost half of the diseases among children,” said Khalilullah Hodkhil, head of the IGCH [Kabul's Indira Gandhi Child Hospital].
The city’s once teeming River Kabul has now dried up and is a repository for waste and a source of disease. Officials in Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency have requested US$5 million to clean up the river.
Read more: IRIN, 29 Sep 2008
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