From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna state government has concluded plans to bring back the monthly environmental sanitation in the State to safeguard healthy environments.
The State is also set to dredge the River Kaduna and its tributaries to stem flood and ease flow of water as the rainy season approaches.
The Kaduna Capital Territory Authority (KCTA) Administrator, Malam Hafiz Bayero, who disclosed this in Kaduna on Thursday, told Reporters at a press conference that the State is equally planning to introduce electric tricycle to the Kaduna metropolis, and ban plastic containers to reduce environmental pollution and flood.
Bayero said Kaduna state government will mark the World Health Day on Friday with environmental sanitation at various points within the metropolis.
“The sanitation will take place at Command Junction, Karji, Kawo, Rigasa and Stadium Roundabout. To have cleaner environment we would do sweeping, silting of drainages, litter control and vegetation control.
“Friday is World Health Day with the theme; Investing in our Planet. Sustainability is a key aspect of city management and resilience. We have decided to come up with an initiative to clean up the city. We are looking into bringing back the monthly environmental sanitation without hindering movement maybe between 6am and 8:30am.
“We feel this is necessary because in our communities we have stopped living like our brother’s keeper, we need to foster community relations and neighbourliness. It’s absence has caused build up of unhygienic environment. We are looking at legislation to ban plastic in our cities and use more sustainable products. We are looking at creating pedestrian friendly walkways.
“We are looking at bringing in electric Keke NAPEP produced here in Nigeria to replace the fuel type. These electric types don’t use fuel, they are covered, with doors to guard against sun and harsh environment. They are of grades, we are going to engage vigorously with the tricyclist union to find a balance with the users. We are looking at the producers to see how they can produce pocket friendly.
“A mass transit plan has been developed, we are waiting for the partners to conclude their plan. It would work on schedules with proper bustops. We have dedicated routes for them which only the buses can run, no other commercial bus can run the routes. We want to train the yellow and green commercial buses drivers on how to drive the city buses to minimise job loss. We are looking at introducing cycling lane to encourage cycling as is done every where in the world.” Bayero said.