Imo State Environmental Protection Agency has warned residents of; Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri against throwing solid waste into water channels.
Mr Jeff Nwoha, General Manager of the agency, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Owerri, said the state might experience severe flooding if residents failed to adopt positive environmental measures.
“Most traders in major markets in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe usually stuff the gutters with solid waste generated from the shops daily.”
“And now that fresh maize is in season, people selling and roasting maize have equally joined in the act and are blocking the water channels.”
“Our concern; as the agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a healthy environment, is that this negative practice is on the increase.”
“We are worried that even with the road expansion work going on in these cities; residents might record serious flooding if they fail to listen to early warning,” he said.
Nwoha said while “it is the duty of government to provide infrastructure, citizens must make efforts to protect and preserve such infrastructure aimed at development and ensuring safety of the environment.”
He reminded the residents of the law on the disposal of waste in urban centres, saying, “It is prohibited for residents to throw away domestic waste from the hours of 6a.m. to 7p.m.”
Nwoha equally advised those who constructed buildings on waterways as well as people using the green verge for businesses to vacate such places immediately.
“Officials of Imo Environmental Agency have been given the mandate to move round the city and ensure compliance to curb negative environmental consequences,” he said.
Nwoha also warned traders on prohibited areas to find alternative trading areas as there would be no further warning before the agency took action against them.
Nwoha urged Imo people to key into the urban renewal agenda of the Rochas Okorocha administration by keeping their surroundings clean and preserving infrastructure.
Source: NAN
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