Environment Rights Action, ERA, has expressed concern over what it described as the indiscriminate dumpingof sewage/toxic chemicals in swamps and rivers in Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
The development, ERA lamented, does not only pose grave health danger to theresidents, who rely on the rivers for drinking and other domestic uses, but also aggravate the woes of the already fragile environment.
EAR Field Officer in Bayelsa State, Mr. Alagoa Morri, in a report, weekend, said: “The environment is under increasing threat from uncontrolled exploitation of our natural resources
and other unsustainable activities that pollute our water and soil. “There are no approved sewage dump sites, as sewage truck operators have resorted to dumping sewage indiscriminately. Sometimes with the approval of some unscrupulous community folks. “One community, where this has been going on is in Opolo-Epie, not far from the state government’s refuse dump site on Tombia-Amassoma Road. The untreated sewage and other liquid chemicals (even crude oil) are dumped into swamps and other flowing bodies of water in the environment.” “Unfortunately, neither the state Sanitation Authority nor the Ministry of Environment had made any pronouncement on this negative environmental trend or taken any other positive action to control the situation in the interest the general public. “Some of the plants in the affected areas also show the negative impacts, as someare either dead or dying. No doubts, since our people fish in such swamp/bodies of water within their environment, drink and use the water for other domestic uses, this poses a great health and livelihood concern. Sadly, the act is done with impunity, at broad day-light and on major road used by the public.” The environmental activist, who stressedthe need for sewage treatment and approved dumpsites in the state, urged the relevant agencies of the state and local government to take immediate steps to investigate and halt the assault on the environment by sewage truck operators in the state.
and other unsustainable activities that pollute our water and soil. “There are no approved sewage dump sites, as sewage truck operators have resorted to dumping sewage indiscriminately. Sometimes with the approval of some unscrupulous community folks. “One community, where this has been going on is in Opolo-Epie, not far from the state government’s refuse dump site on Tombia-Amassoma Road. The untreated sewage and other liquid chemicals (even crude oil) are dumped into swamps and other flowing bodies of water in the environment.” “Unfortunately, neither the state Sanitation Authority nor the Ministry of Environment had made any pronouncement on this negative environmental trend or taken any other positive action to control the situation in the interest the general public. “Some of the plants in the affected areas also show the negative impacts, as someare either dead or dying. No doubts, since our people fish in such swamp/bodies of water within their environment, drink and use the water for other domestic uses, this poses a great health and livelihood concern. Sadly, the act is done with impunity, at broad day-light and on major road used by the public.” The environmental activist, who stressedthe need for sewage treatment and approved dumpsites in the state, urged the relevant agencies of the state and local government to take immediate steps to investigate and halt the assault on the environment by sewage truck operators in the state.
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