Residents and environmental experts have appealed to the Kaduna State Government, North West Nigeria to evaluate the waste at the oldest dump sites situated in the City centre which they say are polluting the environment.
They are therefore suggesting that after relocation, the location can be converted into shops or other useful community facilities for revenue generation instead of spreading pollution and diseases.
The Head of Communication and Strategies at African Climate Reporters and a lecturer with the African Institute of Waste Management and Environmental Studies, Comrade Ibrahima Yakubu, visited the Tudun-Ilu dump site with some environmental scientists to assess the state of the site and its potential environmental and health implications for residents living around it.
The Tudun-Ilu dump site, located near the Fire Brigade in Tudun Wada, in the centre of the state capital, appears to be one of the oldest dump sites in the state.
The site has raised concerns over its impact on residents, particularly women and children in the surrounding community.
After the field visit, Ibrahima Yakubu and some of the scientists suggested that there was a need for the authorities to properly evaluate the dump site and evacuate the accumulated waste, so as to save residents against dangerous smoke from the trash dump site
They also proposed replacing the dump site with structures such as temporary shops for business men or other useful facilities instead of allowing plastic and other waste materials to continue accumulating and polluting the environment.
They said evacuating the dump site would help protect residents from dangerous smoke and toxic fumes generated by the burning and decomposition of waste.
Some Residents Raise Concerns Over Smoke and Health implications
The dump site is situated within a densely populated community, with thousands of residents living in the surrounding areas.
The residents have repeatedly called on relevant authorities to properly manage the site or relocate to another place, expressing concern over the smoke and unpleasant conditions affecting their daily lives.
They also called on residents to stop setting the dump site on fire, while advocating for more awareness campaigns to educate the public on the harmful effects of open burning of waste.
Speaking during the field visit, the community leader of Unguwan Tudun-Ilu, where the dump site is located, Mai -Unguwa Mallam Husaini Yakubu, appealed to the relevant authorities to put an end to the continued dumping of waste at the site.
He said residents had been living with the consequences of the dump site for many years, including persistent smoke and what he described as respiratory-related health challenges within the community.
According to him, the site has increasingly become a dumping ground for animal waste and refuse generated from Kaduna Central Market, resulting in smoke that affects the surrounding community from morning until evening.
The community leader suggested that authorities should consider replacing the dump site with temporary shops or other useful community facilities as a way of ending the environmental challenges associated with the location.
He also appealed to humanitarian organisations, civil society groups and health experts to collaborate with the government and community leaders in finding a lasting solution to waste management in the area.
He further called for stronger collaboration among environmental experts, journalists, community leaders, civil society organisations and government agencies to ensure that waste management becomes a priority across Kaduna metropolis.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders have called for urgent action by relevant authorities to urgently consider evacuating the dump site, stop the open burning of waste, provide suitable alternative waste disposal facilities, and strengthen waste collection, recycling and public awareness programmes.
Such measures, they said, would help reduce air pollution, improve the living conditions of residents and protect public health in Tudun-Ilu and surrounding communities
