NAN-AE-4
Borehole
By Chidinma Agu
Lagos, March 23, 2017 (NAN) The Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WMASON) on Thursday urged the Lagos State Government to check the proliferation of boreholes in the state to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, the President of the society gave this advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos in continuation of the World Water Day celebration with the theme: ”Water and Wastewater”.
Osibanjo said that many homes dug boreholes near their sewage, hence contaminating the water and giving avenue for the spread of waterborne diseases in the state.
According to him, the checking the proliferation of boreholes is necessary to avoid over-exploitation of underground water.
“Most boreholes are contaminated and are causes of waterborne diseases in the state.
“Although digging boreholes are alternatives to people not getting water from the public waterworks, the boreholes are not being dug the right way.
”There is a lack of control on how it should be done. In short, it is only in Nigeria, especially in Lagos that people dig boreholes without permit and this is very wrong,’’ he said.
Osibanjo said that the high population rate in Lagos accounted for indiscriminate digging of boreholes by people in the state.
He said that in spite of the daily increase in Lagos population, the state government needed to monitor how boreholes were being dug and who was doing what and where.
“People who need water will continue to seek for alternatives through boreholes, however, the lack of control on how it should be done will continue to expose Lagosians to danger,” he said.
According to him, that is why the theme of this year’s World Water Day, “Water and Wastewater is apt’’,
He stressed the need for proper articulation of wastewater and sewage management in the state.
The UN on March 22 marked the World Water Day and said that the vast majority of all the wastewater globally were from homes, cities, industry and agriculture, which flowed back to nature without being treated for reuse.
”And we will help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal six target to halve the proportion if untreated wastewater is recycled and made safe for reuse,” it said. (NAN)
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Edited by Grace Yussuf