Lagos to reform waste management system in 2017

The Lagos State government has said that the ongoing reform in waste management will make the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) to play only regulatory and monitoring roles while conceding policy implementation to private entities.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Babatunde Adejare, disclosed this while addressing newsmen during  December monthly press briefing of the ministry.

The commissioner  said that the new direction in waste management in the state would allow for the  infusion of needed technology and resources into waste management through partnership with renowned waste managers.

He stated that the days when LAWMA veered from its traditional regulatory role into being a player in the sector would soon be gone since Lagos has grown enough to have a proper waste management agency that would regulate and monitor the sector for efficiency.

According to him, other measures to improve waste management  in the state are: “the existing landfill sites would  be closed and substituted with engineered landfill sites. There would be the creation of transfer loading stations in local government areas, deployment of  over one million ultramodern waste bins with censors to monitor their movement against  theft.”

Recounting the  achievements of his ministry in the month of December,  the Commissioner stated that 12,846 tenements and  1,004 high-rise buildings/commercial properties were monitored across the state for compliance with wastewater management policies, while approval of the State Executive Council  had been given to commence the Development of Odomola II Water Treatment and Distribution Network Project on Public Private Partnership basis. He said that theState Government was already executing the construction of Adiyan Water Treament Plant Phase II with 70MGD capacity which is to benefit population of  about 3,000,000 people by providing potable water. These according to him were meant to be achieved a smooth delivery of portable water to Lagos metropolis and its environs.

The Environment Commissioner  stated further that 44 abatement notices, 26 court summons and four  sanitation alarms were served to check various environmental infractions including  wetland encroachment, burning of  solid waste, dirty surroundings,poor spent oil management, extension attached to buildings/shops, street trading indiscriminate dumping of refuse on verges of road, vegetal nuisance on the  road median, poor waste management, air pollution, blocked/silted drains,unkempt surroundings and poor toilet facilities among others.

To ensure  free flow of water, Adejare pointed out that drainage clearing and cleaning  were carried out on Otedola road, Lagos- Ibadan

Express Way, Ikeja,Leventis Wharf Road, Apapa, Ajao Estate, Ahanor Drive, Oshodi, Ikotun BRT BusStop, Alimosho, Simpson Collector Channel, Lagos Island, KirikiriOkodua Collector, Amuwo- Odofin and Collector at Old Abeokuta Road by Railway crossing at  Ifako Ijaiye, Elegushi Palace road in Eti- Osa LGA, Igbo-Orosunchannel in Olorunda LCDA in Badagry, CBD-Magodo-Otedola Channel and CMD-Agiliti channels  for free flow of water. He also stated that construction of and dredging of canals and drainages were being undertaken in 22  sites across Lagos State among which are: Adebohun/ Oladejo/ Odutola Streetcollector drains at Agege, Wilmer-Akpiri Tex-Olawale collector at Ajegunle, OdoEgiri Channel, Egiri at Eredo, Fatokun /Makinde Collector at Abule Egba,Morogbo Road Culvet, Ogoto Collector Drain at Badagry, Obawole Primary DrainageChannel, Ifako-Ijaye L. G.A. Otheractivities of the ministry within the month of December include continuous tree maintenance exercise,tree pruning, aggressive redesigning /regeneration of parks and garden and the replacement  of weathered, rusted and old railings with stronger metallic railing  painting  white for aesthetics purpose.