By Kelvin Ohoror
The Head of the Environmental Health Department in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Gabriel Egbeta, says the local government is intensifying efforts to tackle indiscriminate refuse dumping and improve environmental sanitation across the local government area.
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Key Highlights
- Isoko North council is stepping up action against indiscriminate refuse dumping.
- Chairman Godwin Ogorugba has cleared illegal dump sites and moved waste to designated sites.
- Some residents still dump refuse along roadsides, the environmental health head says.
- Offenders during monthly sanitation exercises were arrested, with vehicles taken to the police station and fines paid.
- Lack of an official vehicle is hampering the department’s field operations.
Egbeta disclosed this during an interview with our reporter, noting that illegal dumping of refuse remains a major challenge despite the council’s efforts to maintain a clean environment.
According to him, the council Chairman, Godwin Ogorugba, has made concerted efforts to eliminate illegal dump sites by clearing accumulated refuse and relocating the waste to government designated dump sites.
However, he lamented that some residents still prefer dumping refuse along roadsides rather than using approved disposal points.
He added that cleared dump sites were sometimes marked with ribbon barriers to discourage residents from returning to such locations to dump refuse.
Drainage clearing and monthly sanitation
Speaking on drainage management, Egbeta said the department usually clears drainage channels before the rainy season to ensure the free flow of water, explaining that the exercise becomes difficult once the drains are filled with water.
He further disclosed that the council conducts monthly environmental sanitation exercises, with the exercise involving restrictions on the movement of persons and vehicles.
According to him, some offenders were arrested, vehicles were taken to the police station, and fines were paid into the council’s coffers.
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No official vehicle for field operations
The environmental health chief also identified the lack of a standby official vehicle as a major challenge affecting the department’s field operations, noting that officers often have to pay for transportation when responding to environmental complaints.
He said the department also conducts inspection of residential, commercial and public premises to ensure compliance with sanitary requirements, including the availability of toilets, bathrooms and kitchens, as well as checks for expired products and drugs. Safe sanitation is central to public health, according to the World Health Organization.
He added that residents who fail to comply with sanitary notices could be summoned to court.
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