Refuse disposal has been one of the major challenges confronting cities across the world. In Port Harcourt, indiscriminate dumping of refuse in gutters and at street corners has been the order of the day, thereby defacing the beauty of the garden city and putting the health of the residents at risk.
Some areas, such as Mini Avenue, Mgbuoba NTA Road, Oil mill, Ozoba, Choba, and along Ikwere Road, just to mention a few, are sorry sites filled with indiscriminate refuse dumped on the street, as the order of the day.
The stench from these sites can only be imagined as refuse is left unattended by the relevant authority.
A resident of Mgbuoba NTA Road, Mrs Etunne Callista, described the situation as appalling.”I even lack words to express my feelings. Every time you come out here, you will see garbage littered indiscriminately.
The cart pushers are responsible for this. They dump these refuse bags both in the gutters and on street corners,” she lamented.
Another resident, Joy Ijego, expressed sadness over the matter and wished for the culprits to be apprehended.
“We are watching for them, but we have not caught any person. When we see any individual who dumps refuse indiscriminately here, we will know how to deal with him,” she noted.
On his part, a dry cleaner, Mr. Chibike Ezenwaka, said the situation in Port Harcourt metropolis is worrisome and blamed it on failure in governance.
“The government or its agencies are not enforcing the laws governing refuse disposal if they are strict on the enforcement, I believe refuse would not be dumped into our drainage system,” he emphasized.
A personnel of Rivers State Waste Management Agency, RIWAMA, claimed that the delay in the evacuation of refuse was a result of a change in policies and inadequate resources.
“What I will say in the collection of refuse is that manpower and finance are the factors militating against refuse disposal. If there is finance, the agency will work optimally,” he explained.
One of the consequences of improper disposal of refuse is flooding, which is very common in Port Harcourt.
An environmentalist with Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Professor Hygenius Oko, explained the dangers of such an act.
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“Indiscriminate disposal of garbage contaminates surface water, which is used by several other microorganisms. Another issue is microplastics, which could come from deposition.
So if it goes into the water source, it gets to plants, animals, and vegetation. All these things would affect man at the end of the day,” he stated.
Some believe that the lack of implementation of environmental laws is responsible for the trend of improper disposal of garbage in Port Harcourt city.
Against this backdrop, an environmental scientist, Mr. Sunday Okereke, called for stricter measures to enforce the environmental laws.
“How to enforce it is simple. One, the regulatory body should be up and doing in enforcing the law, there should be adequate awareness for the city dwellers to be informed on the dangers if such an act”, he stressed.
Residents of Port Harcourt are appealing to the relevant authorities to bring back the once beautiful garden city to its pride of place by enforcing a proper waste disposal system.
