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Akpabio Johnson
Apparently disturbed by the negative impact of continued waste disposal at Kara Market and abattoir, the Lagos State government yesterday moved to stop traders and cattle traders from illegal waste disposal on the river and the environment.
Speaking during the on-the-spot assessment of environmental degradation resulting from indiscriminate waste dumping, the Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said that continued indiscriminate disposal waste could result into flooding around the water ways that flows into Owode Onirin/ Mile 12 axis and other parts of Lagos. In addition an epidemic could result from this as well.
Osanyintolu, who said that all the waste generated (abattoir waste, cattle dungs and sewage) were being indiscriminately disposed into the water ways which could lead to serious environmental and health hazard, said such development constitutes hazzard to the well-being of the people of the axis. He added that the state government would partner with the Ogun State government to address the environmental challenges in the area.
LASEMA Directo-General, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Ogun State on Environment Mr Ola Oresanya, said that the agency in conjunction with the Ogun State government would embark on sensitization of the cattle sellers and meat processors on the need to keep a high hygiene and desist from disposing waste into Kara waterways.
He said:”Upon arrival at Kara Market, it was discovered that all the waste generated (abattoir waste, cattle dungs and sewage) were being indiscriminately disposed into the water ways which could lead to serious environmental and health hazard. This indiscriminate disposal waste could result into flooding around the water ways that flows into Owode Onirin/ Mile 12 axis and other parts of Lagos. In addition an epidemic could result from this as well.
According to him, part of the recommendations were the need for the traders to build a septic tank to store all human waste and erect a waste Retention Tank at the Abattoir. He said that the traders had also be warned to embark on strategic placement of waste collection materials around the market.
LASEMA boss said that the state government also urged the traders to embark on daily cleaning of the market.They were given a mandate to commence aggressive Cleaning of Existing Waste in the Kara Market.
