The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sanitation

  • Kano committed to sanitation

    Kano committed to sanitation

    The Kano State government says it is committed to ensuring that residents of the state imbibe proper sanitation habits.

    The Director of the state Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB),Alhaji Ismail Bello, expressed this desire in an interview with journalists in Kano.

    Bello said that part of the efforts included the provision of dump sites in major streets in the metropolis to discourage people from indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

    “The governor, at inception, had directed the eight metropolitan councils to allocate 10 places where people will dump refuse.

    “This will, at least, discourage residents from dumping refuse everywhere, and make them stop the habit of dumping refuse in drains in front of their homes.

    “We intend to sensitise the public on the health implications of refuse dumping, especially solid waste in front of their homes.

    “We want them to know that when you dump refuse anyhow, you endanger not only yourself but your neighbours as well,’’ he said.

    Bello also said that the agency had purchased 3,000 drums of 200-litre capacity for distribution in all major streets of the eight metropolitan local councils.

    He said that experts from different ministries and departments of the state were selected into a committee to decide where to allocate the drums in order to make them accessible for the agency’s officials.

  • The case for better sanitation

    The case for better sanitation

    As part of activities to mark this year’s world toilet day, the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) ranks Nigeria fifth among countries whose citizens defecate in the open. UNICEF estimated that about 34 million Nigerians engage in open defecation.

    Consequently, it was estimated that about 500,000 Nigerian children die every year from diarrhea and respiratory infections alone. While diarrhea is responsible for 194,000 deaths, respiratory infections kill about 240,000.

    The absence of public toilets in some places contributes immensely to the pollution of water as the improper disposal of human waste filters directly to waterways. Many Nigerians depend on unfiltered water for drinking and cooking and this add to the spread of infectious diseases.

    The impact of poor sanitation culture and improper disposal of excreta on water resources cannot be overemphasized. Many are always in the habit of throwing out their waste garbage in the open because the entire sanitation system has collapsed.

    It is the responsibility of every Nigerian to maintain good sanitation standard by ensuring that their environs are clean through proper disposal of waste. Most states in the country observe monthly environmental sanitation on the last Saturday of every month during which everyone is expected clean their environment while the exercise last. Unfortunately this goal has not been achieved to a greater extent.

    However, the alternative way out of this mess is the rehabilitation of existing public toilet and construction of new ones in all markets, schools, bus stops and other public places. The government should make the provision of these facilities a priority in the rural communities. Partnering with corporate organizations and institutions to make financial commitments towards sanitation is also very necessary.

    Mobile toilets may be the best option in a place where construction of new toilets may not be possible. Youths should be engaged to ensure that the facilities are functional and well maintained.

     

    Additionally landlords both in the rural and urban communities should be compelled to have at least toilets in their buildings. Local community health centres should be established in every local government of the federation to ensure that all toilets in the area are in healthy state.

     

    Most importantly, there is urgent need for the sensitization of the general public on the risk of open defecation on the human health and the need to stop it.

     

  • Monthly sanitation holds tomorrow

    The monthly environmental sanitation holds tomorrow.

    The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello said yesterday that, human and vehicular movements would not be allowed from 7am to 10am.

    Bello said the restriction is to allow residents observe the exercise.

    He urged residents to clean their drains, reminding them that the last lap of the rainy season is around.

    The government, according to him, would not relent in the cleaning and dredging of primary and secondary channels; the Emergency and Flood Abatement Department (EFAD) would continue to de-silt and de-flood blocked channels.

    Bello said: “Lagos State has not experienced serious flooding like other states in Nigeria, because we have continued to expand and clean our channels in anticipation of the unusual rains.

    “The peculiarity of Lagos as a coastal state is flooding, as such, all hands must be on deck to assist the state in reducing the incidence of flooding to the barest minimum, by not engaging in acts like dumping into drain and canals, as well as desist from patronising cart pushers.”

    He advised Lagosians against panicking whenever it rains, saying all the drainage channels are being cleared and dredged.