Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The Delta State Government has expressed worries over the indiscriminate manner residents are dumping plastic waste across cities and communities in the oil-rich state.
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. John Nani, who spoke on behalf of the state government, in Asaba, said indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste pose serious hazards to both human and animal health.
Nani spoke during a rally as part of activities marking this year’s World Environment Day with the theme: ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.
Represented by the Director of Waste Management and Environmental Sanitation, Mr. Lucky Adah, Nani explained that the aim of the rally was to create awareness about the negative effect of plastic pollution to the environment.
He said, “We are bringing this sensitization to you because we all know that the indiscriminate dumping of plastics has been a problem to the environment and human and animal health.
“We discovered that when this plastic wastes are dumped indiscriminately they get to our water bodies where our fishes consume them, and somehow when we consume these fishes there is the tendency of having cancer and other related diseases. So you see it a very serious matter.”
He urged residents of the state to register with Private Sector Participants (PSPs) in public waste management to ensure proper disposal of refuse materials including plastics.
President of Association of Waste Managers (ASAWAMA), Delta State chapter, Maxwell Egbe harped on the need for people to be conscious in handling plastic materials, explaining that “after the usage of the plastics we are supposed to arrest it, put it in a covered bin where the PSP comes to take it to the proper place where it would be recycled. In that simple manner we can arrest the issue of plastic pollution.”
He said the challenges of waste management were enormous, and appealed to the state government to put dump sites in order, as well as create access roads to the sites.
Egbe further enjoined the state government to encourage micro organizations going into recycling as it would help reduce waste in the streets.