Lagos moves against houses without toilets, good septic tanks

The Lagos State government yesterday warned that it would no longer tolerate landlords with multi- room (face-me-I-face-you) buildings that have just one toilet, noting that such buildings constitute environmental nuisance. The government also vowed to clamp down on owners of  buildings with poor or substandard septic tanks, noting that such were unhealthy and could lead […]

The Lagos State government yesterday warned that it would no longer tolerate landlords with multi- room (face-me-I-face-you) buildings that have just one toilet, noting that such buildings constitute environmental nuisance.
The government also vowed to clamp down on owners of  buildings with poor or substandard septic tanks, noting that such were unhealthy and could lead to outbreak of diseases.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ forum for Sensitisation and Public Awareness on Environmental and Health Implications held at the Agege Mini Stadium in Lagos yesterday, the Commissioner for Environment, Babatunde Adejare, said the idea of having a house with about 60 tenants using a single toilet would no longer be tolerated.
According to him, the management of 2.1billion litres of waste water generated by over 20 million Lagosians daily, with the attendant health and environmental implications, necessitated the ongoing efforts on the sanitation of houses in the state.
“The law prescribes punishment for landlords of such buildings with poor sanitation facilities. Now, the Kick against Indiscipline (KAI) and Environmental Task Force officials will be enforcing the law. A lot of things are abnormal in our environment, we won’t allow people to dispose refuse in the drainage. Imagine a landlord of 25 rooms having a single toilet. He makes money from the building but cannot get toilet for the tenants. What is the cost of a toilet? Since government does not collect any money from the landlords, they should use it to build toilets for their tenants.
“The idea of tenants queuing before they can use the toilet will no longer be tolerated. Just imagine a 25-room apartment with over 10 people living in each of the rooms. How can they cope with one toilet?” Adejare asked.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Adeshina Onisarotu warned against discharging of waste effluents into the drains.