Koshe

rdf:langString Koshe

rdf:langString Qoshee also known as Koshe is a large open landfill which receives rubbish and waste from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The name means "dirty" in Amharic. The site is located in the southeastern part of Addis Ababa. It has been in operation for about 50 years and, in 2014, was about 36 hectares but shrinking as the result of regulation. A community of hundreds of rubbish pickers lived and worked there. They were known as "scratchers" as they typically carried a metal hook to pry open the waste which was compressed and delivered by garbage trucks. In 2016, the local authority tried to close the site and relocate dumping to a new landfill site at Sendafa but opposition by local farmers caused the rubbish collectors to move back. In March 2017, a landslide at the site killed more than 113 people, as recovery continues the death toll is expected to rise. The country announced three day-national mourning following the incident. Communications Minister Negeri Lencho declared that 38 males and 75 females lost their lives in this tragic event. One resident attributed the accident to construction work, as bulldozers were levelling the site for a biogas plant. A 50 (fifty) megawatt waste-to-energy plant is being built nearby at Reppie to burn rubbish to generate electricity.