A monarch and environmental experts have appealed to the Kaduna State government to evaluate the waste at one of the state’s oldest dump sites, which they said is polluting the environment, and consider converting the location into temporary shops or other useful community facilities for revenue generation.
Head of Communication and Strategies at African Climate reporters and a lecturer at the African Institute of Waste Management and Environmental Studies, Comrade Ibrahima Yakubu, visited the Tudun-Ilu dump site with some environmental scientists to assess its condition and the potential environmental and health implications for residents living around the site.
The dump site, located near the Fire Brigade in Tudun Wada, Kaduna, is one of the oldest sites in the state.
The site has raised concerns over its impact on residents, particularly women and children in the surrounding community.
After the field visit, Ibrahima Yakubu and some of the scientists said there was a need for the authorities to properly evaluate the dump site and evacuate the accumulated waste to protect residents from dangerous smoke generated by the burning of refuse at the site.
He also proposed replacing the dump site with structures such as temporary shops for businesspeople or other useful facilities, instead of allowing plastic and other waste materials to continue accumulating and polluting the environment.
He said evacuating the dump site will help protect residents from dangerous smoke and toxic fumes generated by the burning and decomposition of waste.
The Nigerian Tribune learnt that some residents have raised concerns over smoke and health implications occasioned by the site.
The site is situated within a densely populated community, with thousands of residents living in the surrounding areas.
Residents of Tudun-Ilu have repeatedly called on the relevant authorities to relocate or properly manage the site, expressing concern over the smoke and unpleasant conditions affecting their daily lives.
Yakubu also called on residents to stop setting the dump site on fire, while advocating more awareness campaigns to educate the public on the harmful effects of open burning of waste.
Speaking during the visit, the community leader of Unguwan Tudun-Ilu, Mai Unguwa Mallam Husaini Yakubu, appealed to the relevant authorities to put an end to the continued dumping of waste at the site.
He said residents had been living with the consequences of the dump site for many years, including persistent smoke and what he described as respiratory-related health challenges in the community.
He said the site has increasingly become a dumping ground for animal waste and refuse generated from Kaduna Central Market, resulting in smoke that affects the surrounding communities.
The community leader suggested that the authorities should consider replacing the dump site with temporary shops or other useful community facilities as a way of ending the environmental challenges associated with the location.
He also appealed to humanitarian organisations, civil society groups and health experts to collaborate with the government and community leaders in finding a lasting solution to waste management in the area.
He further called for stronger collaboration among environmental experts, journalists, community leaders, civil society organisations and government agencies to ensure that waste management becomes a priority in Kaduna metropolis.