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From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Engr Dr Felix Odimegwu has disclosed that government was putting every machinery in motion to ensure a conducive and disease-free environment for the populace.
In an interview with Our Correspondent, yesterday, Engr Dr Odimegwu commended Governor Charles Soludo who he said had done well in ensuring a healthy environment for the State.
He listed measures taken by the government to make environment conducive and disease-free.
“The State government has launched a programme for clean, green and sustainable environment in Anambra State. This has been complemented with the engagement of waste management contractors on the pay direct system basis to ensure prompt and steady evacuation of refuse in the State.
“There should be an impact of the activities of environmental officers and
enforcement of the extant laws on environment through the activities of the Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in the State Ministry of Environment to be felt in the twenty one Local Governement Areas.
“There should be a support to EHOs on capacity building workshops in the areas of field work, data management through a tool known as Integrated National Environmental Health Surveillance System (INEHSS), ” he said.
He assured that indiscrimate dumping of refuse would come to end based on the strategies he said governement had provided in curbing the environmental hazards.
“We will commence intensive sensitization of the public through the media and the engagement of environmental marshals to check on waste recyclers to help deal with plastic wastes and ensure recycling hubs are situated at strategic places in the State.
“There is also the need to check another major aspect of waste like the construction of sanitary conveniences at strategic locations in the major cities of Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi added to the construction of sewage treatment plant in the State.
“We urge Anambra residents to always dispose refuse reasonably to avoid environmental pollution which is detrimental to human health, ” he concluded.
When contacted, the Director, environmental health and pollution control in the Ministry of Environment, Awka, Nwachukwu Oluchi, suggested
that the involvement of the community structures in waste management issues should be ideal for proper coordination and use of law enforcement agents to check indiscrimate dumping of refuse.
She also said that the conduct of town hall meetings for stakeholders on refuse disposal would add value to proper waste management system in the State.
