As the world celebrates this year’s Environment Day, Plateau environment commissioner Usman Idi has decried the indiscriminate dumping of refuse by residents of areas waste evacuators cannot access.
The commissioner told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Jos that the situation was impeding the evacuators’ efforts to discharge their duties diligently.
He said that the Plateau Environmental Protection And Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) had designated areas for residents to dump their waste to ensure a clean and healthy environment.
“PEPSA designated places where refuse will be dumped and where the trucks can pick it, but people have nelected the areas. They throw their waste at every corner. This is very worrisome.
“Some people even throw waste into rivers making it impossible to evacuate such dirt.
“Some areas are not motorable because of indiscriminate erection of buildings, but people in those houses feel they can dump their waste at their doorstep, ignoring the designated areas. The evacuators cannot go door to door,” he said.
The commissioner said that the waste plant at Mistali in Bassa Local Government would soon take off, and expressed optimism that the gesture would increase the number of waste collectors and create employment opportunities.
He said that 5,000 tree seedlings were planted in March at the Bukuru nursery under the UN REDD+ programme coordinated by the Federal Government, adding that Plateau had also benefited from the two FG afforestation interventions.
“One such intervention is in Ganuwuri, Riyom Local Government. It is 80 percent completed and we have planted 25,000 seedlings.
“The other one is in Mangu Local Government and is situated at Langai forest reserve. There, fencing has been completed and 15,000 seedlings will be taken to the site,” he said.
He said that Nigeria Erosion and Water Management Programme (NEWMAP), funded by the World Bank, facilitated the planting of 50,000 trees with 25,000 seedlings each, planted in Kanke and Shendam Local Government Areas.
He said that as part of efforts to preserve the environment and discourage tree felling, the state distributed gas cylinders and stoves provided by the federal government to communities close to the forest reserves across its 17 local governments.
Idi said that the world environment day was a key moment to create awareness on the need to conserve the environment as it assures good health and more productivity.
He added that tree planting not only beautifies the environment but provides clean air.
NAN reports that the theme for the 2020 world environment day is “Biodiversity”.
- “Nikki” – My Next Endeavor is a book set to be released this May - April 18, 2024
- Oko Poly Students Protest N5000 Examination Fees Imposed By Management - April 17, 2024
- Man Defiles 11-Year-Old Girl in Awka-North Local Govt, Anambra State. - April 16, 2024
