The Rivers State Waste Management Agency, RIWAMA, has intensified efforts to tackle indiscriminate refuse disposal in Port Harcourt, warning that illegal waste collectors are contributing to the growing waste problem in the city.
The agency’s Managing Director, Dr Ibimina Wokoma, said some cart pushers collect waste from homes at unauthorised hours and dump it in gutters, road medians and water channels.
He explained that the practice undermines the efforts of approved waste contractors, who evacuate refuse from designated locations before illegal collectors deposit more waste in the same areas.
Dr Wokoma warned that dumping refuse in drainage channels could obstruct the free flow of water and increase the risk of flooding, particularly during heavy rainfall.
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To address the situation, RIWAMA has commenced compulsory profiling of scavengers and scrap dealers operating within the state.
The agency also disclosed that its enforcement teams, working with the police, had begun clamping down on offenders who violate approved waste disposal regulations.
RIWAMA urged residents to engage only government-approved waste contractors and dispose of their refuse between six and ten o’clock in the evening at designated collection points.
The agency called on residents to cooperate with its sanitation efforts to keep Port Harcourt clean, protect the environment and reduce the risk of flooding.
