NEMA warns against indiscriminate waste disposal in Delta

Determined to curtail flood in Delta State, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has cautioned stakeholders in the 18 local government areas of the state to get prepared.

The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, gave the charge at a one-day stakeholders sensitisation workshop, organised by NEMA in collaboration with the Delta State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, for the targeted LGAs.

The theme of the workshop was “Proper Waste Management and Flood Preparation.”

Umar, represented by the agency’s Head of Operation, Dahiru Yusuf, said the workshop was aimed at encouraging behavioural change towards sustainable waste management practices and flood mitigation strategies in the state.

According to Umar, the objective of the workshop is to raise awareness about the importance of proper waste practices.

“To educate the public on the adverse effects of improper waste disposal on the environment and public health; to promote practical measures for flood preparedness and resilience in communities,” he said of the objectives of the workshop.

While thanking the stakeholders, she urged them to support NEMA in its bid to ensure proper waste management and mitigate floods and their impact on the state.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties, Ejiro Etacherure, said the sensitisation was timely.

He said that the state government has also established flood committees and set up camps for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, at strategic places to mitigate the impact of floods across the state.

While thanking the organising agencies, he tasked the participants with paying adequate attention to the lectures being delivered.

On his part, the director of SEMA, Karo Ovemeso, said the 18 LGAs invited to the workshop were the flood flashpoints in the state.

He said that the sensitisation has become necessary to enable the impacted communities to prepare for any eventuality occasioned by a downpour.

According to him, the situation may persist until the government constructs dams to take off the excess water from the overflowing rivers.

He noted that the flood-prone LGAs include Oshimili South and North, Warri South West, Burutu, Bomadi, Udu, Ndokwa, Patani and others.

He, however, called for the collaborative efforts of the waste management agencies, the residents and the private sector participants to ensure proper waste management in the state.

NEMA on Wednesday embarked on a roadshow along the Nnebisi Road to the popular Ogbeogonogo Market to sensitise and create public awareness on proper waste management.

Lectures were delivered on “Proper Waste Management,” “2024 Season Rainfall Prediction as it Affects Delta State,” and “Flood Preparedness and Health Implications of Flood.”

Participants at the event include security agents, the Red Cross, Federal Roads Safety Corps, environmentalists, representatives of NiMet, and National Youth Service Copers, among others.