(Business in Cameroon) - Yaoundé recently commissioned its first fecal sludge treatment plant, according to a release signed by its mayor Luc Atangana Messi. The €4.3 million (over XAF2.8 billion) plant was installed thanks to the support of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF).

According to the project’s technical specifications, in Yaoundé, residents (over 3 million) mostly handle their sanitation tasks themselves. But, drainage services offered by the private sector are not at par because of the dilapidated state of the trucks used and the lack of treatment sites. As a result, fecal sludges are dumped outside the city, in slums, which are flood-prone areas, therefore exposing residents to significant health risks.

With the new treatment plant whose capacity is 200 m³ daily, those risks are mitigated. The Yaounde City Council, through its technical teams, will manage the plant with the assistance of Delvic-Era Cameroun, an engineering firm. At the same time, the city council will introduce innovations to improve the management and profitability of waste disposal. The aim is to regulate the industry, facilitate the entrance of companies interested in the industry by introducing a licensing system and developing monitoring and planning tools.

In that regard,  Mr. Messi Atangana invited waste management companies to comply with the rules governing non-collective sanitation facilities' sludge removal, transport and dumping. So, each of the operators must obtain approvals, acquire a GPS-equipped emptying truck and a license.  

"The mayor is counting on each of the operators concerned for the successful reorganization of the sludge management industry in the capital city," he said.  

S.A.