Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour@GRVlagos
It is tough waking up someone pretending to be asleep. That said, Iโd urge you to consider the catastrophic environmental degradation occurring along the Odo Iya Alaro waterway. The situation - a systematic failure in waste management - demands immediate intervention to avoid a public health crisis.
The Odo Iya Alaro Wastewater Treatment Plant, constructed at a supposed N5.2 billion in 2014, is operating far below acceptable standards, conducting only preliminary treatment before discharging dangerous effluent directly into our waterways.
Multiple sewage discharge points exist along the canal, from Awolowo Road in Ikeja through Maryland and down to Iddo Terminal, where tanker operators openly dump raw sewage into channels flowing directly to the Lagos Lagoon.
The intended centralized sewage treatment plant near Ojota, despite receiving 60% mobilization payment, remains abandoned after multiple false starts.
Scientific analysis confirms alarming levels of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium) and dangerous pathogens (E. coli, salmonella, shigella) in local water sources, posing immediate health risks to surrounding communities. In fact according to a report by the FIJ, residents of Olatunji Street, Kujore, Victoria, and Cele Emmanuel report regular illness, foul odors, and flooding that brings sewage-laden silt directly into their homes.
Therefore, I recommend the following more specific immediate interventions:
1)Declare an environmental emergency for the Odo Iya Alaro waterway and surrounding communities.
2) Fund and implement proper primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes at the existing treatment plant to meet international standards.
3) Initiate comprehensive dredging of the entire waterways to remove accumulated waste sediments, overgrown weeds to restore water flow.
4)Immediately stop all raw sewage discharges at Iddo, Maryland, and other unauthorized locations, with strict penalties for violators.
5)Complete the centralized sewage treatment plant near Ojota with proper oversight and accountability mechanisms.
6) Conduct free health assessments in collaboration with local government for residents in affected communities with appropriate treatment for waterborne illnesses.
7) Establish a dedicated task force to enforce wastewater management standards with regular monitoring of treatment facilities.
Beyond the simplistic approach of uploading videos of citizens dumping refuse, improving the environment in Lagos requires deep thinking, well thought out policies and collective action. However, it appears the Honorable Commissioner seems more occupied with uploading content, most of which are often divisive and malicious.
#ourlagos
