Dumping of refuse in canals, waterways worries Kubwa residents

Residents of Pipeline area of Kubwa in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised alarm over the habit of many residents dumping refuse into canals and waterways. According to the concerned residents, the odour from refuse dumps as a result of the blockage of the canals and waterways in the area […]

Residents of Pipeline area of Kubwa in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised alarm over the habit of many residents dumping refuse into canals and waterways.

According to the concerned residents, the odour from refuse dumps as a result of the blockage of the canals and waterways in the area may cause an epidemic.

A resident, Daniel Jude, said if something was not done urgently all the canals and waterways would be filled up with refuse, noting that as a result of the odour from the dump sites, residents and business persons were finding it difficult to survive in the area.

Another resident, Grace Adebiyi, explained that steps were taken by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) last year in response to the a letter she wrote to them.

She said, “They brought security men and prevented people from dumping refuse inside the river. But the security men stopped after a while.

“The dirt is piling up. And we are in the rainy season. It’s supposed to be free from time to time.”

She, therefore, called on the AEPB to do its best to help in clearing the canals and waterways, adding that security personnel should be stationed at every unauthorised waste site.

Also, Taiwo Olagunju called on the AEPB to mount billboards to prevent people from dumping refuse indiscriminately, saying, “If that is done, I think people will desist from the act.”