Heaps of decomposing garbage have piled up at the Azire Old Church junction for about three months now as the city of Bamenda sinks into filth.
Locals say the garbage at the Azire Junction, a popular spot in the city, has made them hopeless to City Council authorities.
Heaps of decomposing waste line the streets, posing a significant health and environmental threat to the community.
“The stench is unbearable,” says a local resident.
“We’re constantly battling flies and worried about the diseases this garbage might bring.”
The garbage pile’s proximity to the Bamenda Regional Hospital is particularly concerning.
Patients seeking treatment risk exposure to harmful pathogens breeding in the waste.
“It’s ironic,” another resident comments. “You come to the hospital to get well, but you might end up catching something worse because of the garbage.”
The situation has crippled economic activity in the once-bustling Azire Old Church Junction.
“Business is down significantly,” says a frustrated call box operator. “Who wants to stand here breathing in this smell all day?”
Locals describe resorting to desperate measures to protect themselves.
“We’re constantly spraying insecticide,” a resident explains, “and masks have become a necessity just to step outside.”
Many in Bamenda are pleading with the Bamenda City Council to take immediate action to address the mounting garbage crisis before a full-blown health crisis erupts.
“The Council needs to step up. We can’t keep living like this. Our health is at stake,” says a resident.
Bamenda, once known for its cleanliness, is gradually becoming the dirtiest City in Cameroon, yet the City Council authorities seem not to care.
