HEALTH
Flooding: Abia Govt Threatens Sanction Against Residents Dumping Waste In Drainages
UMUAHIA — The Abia State Government has warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainages and waterways, threatening that anyone caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, issued the warning on Saturday in Umuahia shortly after monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise across the state capital.
According to him, the recent flooding witnessed in parts of the state was largely caused by blocked drainages arising from improper waste disposal, particularly during rainfall.
He said despite sustained efforts by the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) and other relevant agencies to keep drains open, some residents have continued to dump waste into water channels.
“That should stop. They are doing it and going free because nobody has seen them. If we see them, they will pay dearly for it. The weight of the law will fall on that person,” Ogbonna warned.
The Commissioner expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance observed in Umuahia, noting that the exercise is gradually returning after a period of irregularity.
He commended enforcement agencies for their cooperation and praised volunteers in the Afara area who turned out to clean their environment, despite reported attempts by some individuals to attack them.
Ogbonna, however, decried the attitude of some traders at Orie Ugba Market who failed to comply with the sanitation directive, disclosing that government has engaged the market leadership to ensure full compliance in subsequent exercises.
He appealed to residents to take the three-hour monthly sanitation seriously, emphasizing that the campaign for a clean and healthy environment is for the collective benefit of all Abians and not for government alone.