By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) has sent a strong warning to residents in the metropolis to desist from directly discharging human waste into drainages and water channels or face the verdict of a mobile court.
Acting General Manager of KEPA, Mr Yahaya Victor, disclosed this to newsmen, stating that the environmental regulatory body in the state had revived and activated weekly surveillance patrols to ensure strict compliance by residents across the state capital to safeguard the environment and prevent an outbreak of diseases as a result of improper and direct discharge of human waste into drainages.
Areas visited by the surveillance team of KEPA, accompanied by reporters, included Badarawa, Tudun Nupawa, and Unguwan Rimi in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, and Chukun Local Governments, respectively.
Shocking discoveries were made as some residences were found to have no septic tanks, popularly known as soakaways, for disposing of human waste.
“Instead, they discharged their sewage directly into water channels, which ended up being used by farmers to irrigate their crops, not knowing that the water had been contaminated with faeces, urine, and other human waste.
“This act may result in an outbreak of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and other pandemics capable of taking lives in high numbers,” Mr Victor warned.
In light of this ugly practice in the city, the current administration under the leadership of Senator Uba Sani has spelt out its resolve through the Commissioner of Environment to spring into action to reverse the trend and prevent a possible outbreak of a pandemic due to improper sewage system practice by residents in the state.
“We have started by issuing out abatement notices to defaulters and will not hesitate to sanction houses for noncompliance and possibly seal off more dangerous ones to safeguard public health and prevent a possible outbreak of a pandemic,” Mr Victor stressed.
A public health practitioner, Ibrahim Usman, highlighted hazards associated with the direct discharge of human waste into water channels, including pollution of crops, spread of diseases, and damage to the ecosystem, among others.
He commended KEPA for taking a bold step to checkmate and correct the abnormalities, saying it would go a long way in ensuring a decent, safe, and healthy environment ideal for human habitation.
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