Refuse Dump Threatens Residents’ Health In Yenag

Some residents have called the attention of the Bayelsa state government to the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Yenagoa, the capital of the state.
In recent times, the mountain of refuse springing up in Yenagoa has been of serious concern

Residents are worried over the environmental/air pollution the refuse sites have constituted while the stench is becoming unbearable as an impending health hazards looms in the city popularly known as the ‘glory of all lands’.

Naij.com visited the city and observed that wastes are indiscriminately dumped on major roads in the city.

The refuse were sighted along hospital road (close to the state electoral commission complex and the state government house),Edepie, Opolo, Biogbolo, Kpansia, Imgbi junction.

Wastes are being piled up in most markets, bridges in the city.

Emmanuel Okoli, a resident who spoke with this medium said he is disturbed by the uncontrolled dumping of refuse in the city.

According to him, the refuses were dumped in the waste bins and disposing cans along the roads with the hope that the waste management authority would help dispose them.

Okoli claimed he has not seen the waste disposing officials in recent times. As a result, wastes have littered the streets.

John Alaibe, another resident who was also furious that the wastes were not evacuated despite several calls from residents called on the re-elected governor to do something about the refuse dumps across the state.
”Now that Governor Dickson has been re-elected, i think one of his priorities is to see that the wastes are evacuated as soon as possible before they constitute an epidemic hazards,” he said.
The residents however, appealed to the state government and the ministry of environment to urgently address the menace to forestall looming health hazards.
Meanwhile, Barrister Iniruo Wills, the state commissioners for environment in the state said the state government is  addressing the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the city.
Wills claimed that the ministry has recently mobilised the refuse evacuation contractors to go back to work.
‘There were constraints recently because of the sharp dwindling revenue in the state. But we’ve recently mobilised the contractors to clear the refuse. That is in the immediate term. More importantly, we’ve resolved to reform the waste management sector in such a way waste management will be more private-sector driven in order to relief government the burden of refuse evacuation. Private sector operators will be licensed by the government to collect and evacuate refuse,” he said.