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Christian, N
Some residents of Enugu metropolis have lamented the growing heaps of refuse on the streets and blockage of drains with trash, defacing the state once considered the neatest in the southeast.
They made the call following the advent of rain, which had flooded the roads with garbage as the water forced its way through the blocked drainage system.
A resident, who had lived in the state for more than twenty-four years, Dr. Levi Monanu, lamented the poor management of wastes in the metropolis, wondering why things had deteriorated so fast.
“Enugu that used to be the cleanest in the Eastern zone is now becoming a dirty city because of wastes, think of even the vehicles they’re using to carry the wastes, they look like vehicles that came from the moon, I’m so disappointed,” Dr. Monanu stated with great concern.
Another resident, who identified himself as Alex Chineme, bemoaned the situation, particularly, in Abakpa.
“Instead of packing the wastes to the appropriate place, they will throw it into Ekulu River, which will transport it to other environment and make Enugu state a dirty place.
“So Abakpa and other areas are more hazardous and the health of the people within this jurisdiction is at stake, so the government should do the needful and the masses should also do the best they can to do the right thing,” Chineme cried out.
For the residents, the coming of the rainy season heralded fear, and misery because apart from the flooding, as most of the waterways and channels in the state are blocked with wastes, the possible outbreak of dieseses remained a major concern to them people.
It was gathered that major canals in the state, especially in Abapka, Enugu East local government; Timber and Uwani, Enugu South; have been converted to waste dump sites by residents, thereby obstructing human and vehicular movements as well as causing health problems.
Also, gutters in most of these areas are filled with garbage.
For example in Enugu South LGA, the gutter at Nise bus-stop, running through the main road, has heaps of refuse that affected the road while the one at Amokwe bus-stop has remained an eyesore.
It is also disheartening to note too that half of the road leading to Uwani Secondary School from Robinson street, had been taken over by waste, despite being behind Methodist Cathedral, Uwani, and the Enugu South Council headquarters, Enugu.
Visits to some other areas in the metropolis, including the popular Enugu correctional facility junction at the Old Park—Chris Chemist roundabout and the Coal Camp dump site, show ever growing mountainous heaps of refuse, posing potential hazards to residents as pointed out by a public health physician, Dr. Ugwunna Nwachukwu.
“When the rain carry these dirts to deposit firstly in the source of water, it’s a direct cause of diarrhoea diseases, dysentery and typhoid, this can easily be traceable to inappropriate disposal of wastes.
“Again these wastes invite things like rats and these rats and the diseases that they transmit like Lasser fever and other serious diseases can equally be transferred to innocent citizens,” Dr. Nwachukwu explained.
Despite the engagement of contractors to clear the streets of trash, Enugu metropolis has continued to experience mounts of wastes.
A resident decried blockage of the drains in the area, describing it as a breeding ground for diseases.
Another resident in one of streets, said that the garbage, which some residents dumped indiscriminately, blocked the flow of water in some gutters when it rained.
The resident, who described indiscriminate disposal of waste as a serious environmental concern, urged relevant authorities to deploy environmental task force to the areas to apprehend and prosecute those who disposed garbage indiscriminately.
However, efforts to speak with the Managing Director, Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) Mrs. Amaka Anajemba, on the matter was not successful, as her Personal Assistant, Mr. Enyinaya Igwe, insisted that his boss was not in office to respond to questions.
Another member of staff in the agency, who pleaded anonymity, reiteratetd that the management of refuse disposal was no more under ESWAMA rather with a private firm contracted by the state government.
Also, efforts to reach the said contractors were not successful as nobody was willing to speak without the authorization of their master in quote.
Meanwhile, the residents appealed to the Enugu State Government to tackle the hydra-headed monster before the rains set in fully to prevent outbreak of diseases and flooding associated with blockage of gutters and canals.
They further appealed to the state waste management authority, ESWAMA, and contractors said to be engaged by the government to clear the mountainous garbage as outbreak of diseases were imminent if urgent steps were not taken.
The call followed the advent of rain, which had flooded the roads with garbage as the water forced its way through the blocked drainage system.
