Damaturu battles dumping in drainage

Yobe State committee on environmental sanitation has warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and building structures on water ways across the state. The state Deputy governor, Abubakar Ali, who is also the  chairman of the committee, gave the warning at the inauguration of sub-committee to investigate the remote cause of Damaturu flood […]

Yobe State committee on environmental sanitation has warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and building structures on water ways across the state.

The state Deputy governor, Abubakar Ali, who is also the  chairman of the committee, gave the warning at the inauguration of sub-committee to investigate the remote cause of Damaturu flood that destroyed hundreds of houses in Damaturu.

The deputy governor, noted that government had spent huge amount of money on drainage constructions to prevent flood but, the unsavoury practice had rendered many families homeless.

He noted that the state government would act swiftly on the report submitted by the subcommittee.

The General Manager, Yobe State Environmental Sanitation Agency, Idi Wadina, said, "We never failed in our responsibility to routinely evacuate drainages, waste disposal, and removal of sand heaps that blocked main roads across the state.

"To our dismay, the same people that dumped refuse into their drains are waiting for us to evacuate it at their door steps. They don’t care about their health condition or even blame government at the time of flood or disease outbreak", he complained.

Wadina observed that the flood, which had left thousands of people homeless, is unprecedented that he has t seen in the last 20 years of his stay in the state capital, Damaturu.

He also advised those who built structure on the water ways to immediately vacate as the agency would not spare anyone caught violating the state law.

Pic1: Environment cleaners removing drains blockage at the door steps of residents in Damaturu.