As the ministry of urban development and physical planning, Rivers state, on Tuesday, joined the rest of the world to mark world habitat day with the theme: ‘’Municipal solid waste management‘’
Commissioner for urban development, Dr Reason Onya, stated that the state government is on the move to create new cities in Bori, Degema and Ahoada local government areas of the state.
According to him, the aim of the creation is to decongest Port Harcourt metropolis, adding that upgrading and modernizing the new cities is to ensure urban renewal and to shape future cities and towns in the state.
Dr Onya further said that the ministry is also poised in developing modernized social infrastructures in the proposed new cities.
“In line with the basic objectives and policy of the present government, especially with the attendant problems of population increase which is impacting on existing land use and infrastructure, the following urban locations have been fully activated by the ministry in partnership with other ministries, Departments and agencies to resolve problems of municipal solid waste management”
The Commissioner stressed that the ministry is determined to engage in the processes of sustainable development goals in managing municipal solid waste, and improving community-level infrastructures.
“It can be deduced that the challenges of solid waste management are not insurmountable, as government is taking deliberate steps in providing basic infrastructure to convey solid waste from point of production to the point of destination with the necessary legal instrument to guide the conduct and operation of all agencies, private and public participants in the built environment”
However, he said the ministry is working hard to ensure that illegal structures at various flash-points within the Port Harcourt metropolis are removed and illegal trading is eradicated from the streets of Port Harcourt.
