NAN-AE-5
Waste
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Dutse, Dec. 7, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa State Environmental protection Agency (JISEPA) on Wednesday said it had collected and disposed 26,420 tonnes of waste across 26 Local Government Areas of the state.
JISEPA’s Acting Managing Director, Alhaji Umar Amadu, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse, said that the exercise was conducted between January and November.
Amadu said that the exercise was part of the agency’s comprehensive waste clearance campaign initiated to clear waste and improve sanitation across the state.
“In some of the local governments that had large generation of waste due to their population and business activities, the exercise was conducted three times.
“In towns like Gumel, Kazaure, Kiyawa and Hadejia, some of the heaps of waste collected had existed for over 10 years.”
He added that the state government had adopted proactive measures to promote effective waste management and sanitation in urban and rural communities
He said that the agency had also conducted grass cutting exercises in some girls’ boarding primary schools in northern part of the state.
Adamu noted that the grasses were haven for mosquitoes, maggots, snakes and other dangerous reptiles that remained a threat to the health and safety of the students.
“You see, these boarding schools, went on holidays during the rainy season, when they resumed there were lots of grasses and other shrubs that had over grown; hence the need to clear them.
“Also, as the students resumed, we received a report about the presence of a particular maggot which causes fever to humans on mere body contact.
“This maggot, the moment it touches you, itches the area and once you scratch then it causes fever to the students.
“So, that is why we deployed our men to cut all the grasses, but for the boys’ schools, we advised that the students do that themselves.”
He further explained that the agency was sensitising the people on the need to keep their environment clean and imbibe good sanitary habit.
Amadu, therefore, urged the people to cooperate with the workers and desist from arbitrary waste dumping in residential areas and waterways.
The managing director said that if people obeyed environmental regulations, it would improve hygiene and public health in the state. (NAN)
MNB/MOL/NKO
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi
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