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From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
A truck conveying chemical substances was involved in an accident at Iroko, a community in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State and the chemicals found their way into a drainage, which links streams in the area.
Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources in the state, Mr. Abiodun Oni, told journalists on Wednesday that the truck emptied its content into a drainage that was eventually washed into the streams that pass through the five communities.
According to him, the affected communities are Ijaye, Ido, Olowo-Igbo, Iseyin and Ibarapa. He, however, warned residents of the communities against drinking water from the contaminated streams in their areas.
Oni explained that the substances, being carried by the truck were presumed to be soap making chemicals, has impaired the quality of water in the streams, rendering them toxic to humans and the environment at large.
He stated further that farmers who planted their cash crops within the affected areas and fishermen in the communities should suspend every activity within the vicinity, until the waters have been tested and considered safe for consumption.
The government, he said, is on top of the situation as the Ministry of Environment, has dispatched some of its staff to the affected areas to continue to monitor the situation, while also conducting a water sampling, until the water can be ascertained safe for consumption.
His words: “The State government will continue to ensure that the ecosystem is protected in the state.”
He also enjoined citizens to take responsibility by properly handling and disposing off chemical substances and other biodegradable items and ensuring that they do not end up in the streams.
“Furthermore, they should jettison the bad culture of dumping wastes into drainages as they eventually find their ways into streams and rivers and eventually make up their way in the food chain process, as such posing threats to all humans,” Oni stated.
