Senegal congress environmental department budget misses chance to pick up the garbage

Senegal's government cut the budget slightly this year to the Environment Ministry, but not before representatives deplored the state of garbage in the country. The $67.7 million (U.S.) environmental budget approved is down several million from the last adopted budget. Deputies in the National Assembly voiced their concerns that the garbage ringing Senegal's cities is creating a health hazard. The town of Kaolack, in the heart of the country's groundnut crop region voiced special concerns. The government responded that APIX, the foreign investment agency, and the city of Dakar are working on addressing the growing garbage problem as well as the closure of Mbeubeubus, the nation's sole actual landfill... Other environmental concerns such as fisheries and wildfires were noted as affected by the lowered environmental budget. But it is the garbage problem which Senegalese are most concerned about, according to the article Le Quotidien.