Solid Waste Management for An Emerging Urban Center Ikwuano Local Government Area Umuahia Abia State

ABSTRACT

Solid waste management· in an emerging urban centre in Ikwuano is the systematic control generation, collection, storage, transportation and disposal of solid waste. In this study, solid waste management practices were evaluated in other to find its link with occurrence of vectorborne diseases, strategies for solid waste management were employed as practical model to solve the problems regarding to pollution which is originated by solid waste. There is urgent need to take proactive measures in solid waste management in lkwuano local government area as the population of the area kept increasing ·as most of the waste generated are disposed indiscriminately. These solid waste generated in Ikwuano comprises of household, commercial, institutional, street sweeping, etc. 25kg capacity woven sack was used for collection of solid waste from households and 2 sacks were given per household, one for dry and one for wet waste. The field work exercise was done by dividing the research area Ikwuano into three zones and I 0 houses were considered in each zone. Pie chart diagram and statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used in computing the range, means, percentage and 95 percent confidence interval of the parameters of samples calculated on both field and laboratory. From the result and discussion, the quantity of waste generated in any community is a function of the population of that community. The total amount of waste generated in Ikwuano as an emerging urban centre found to be 9319. 83kg and 0. 5kg per capita per day. Zone C has the highest quantity of waste generation in terms of weight, volume and density due to institutions· and nearness to market. This study highlighted many dangers posed by showing nonchalant attitude towards waste management especially since there is no control measures put in place by the government and . therefore recommend that; indiscriminate dumping of waste in an undesignated places in Ikwuano should be discouraged through the means of law enforcement agency against such action and seminars and workshops on issues of solid waste management are also avenues that can be used to improve waste management capacity of the city