The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), has served 343 contravention notices on construction sites at various locations around the state in the last one year.
Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this at on-going ministerial press briefing to mark one year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration, in Alausa, Ikeja.
He said the notices were served on them for not complying with the construction waste regulation procedure supervised by LAWMA.
Wahab added that 354 new introductions notices were issued to construction firms within the same period while enforcement was carried out on 10 recalcitrant sites.
According to him, “LAWMA in the last one year has served no less than 343 contravention notices on construction firms at various locations in the state, for not complying with the rules and regulations governing construction waste management. It is the responsibility of the Construction Demolition and Disaster Waste Department of LAWMA, to work with construction firms, for smooth evacuation of waste generated by them. But some of them are not playing by the rules, hence the notices”.
Speaking further, he said the agency identified 103 black spots around the state, which LAWMA at various times mobilised its operations men to clear.
He said, “It is a sad commentary that despite persistent public awareness, warnings and actual enforcements, some residents still refuse to patronise assigned PSP operators, preferring to dump waste in canals, on road medians and other illegal points. This habit must stop”.
The commissioner also disclosed that LAWMA, through the Ministry of The Environment and Water Resources, had signed an MoU with the State Government and Jospong Group, on waste treatment solutions.
He noted that the MoU entailed identifying existing landfill sites, for proper re-engineering of solid waste management system, to generate employment.
Still on the activities of LAWMA in the last one year, he intimated that the agency had worked with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), to identify locations for the installation of plastic recycling facilities, adding that the move was aimed at mass removal of plastic items from the environment, and for job creation.
He stated further, that the Marine Unit of LAWMA, had additional 5 rafters within the last one year, to aid the collection of on-shore and off-shore waste.
On markets in the state, he noted that LAWMA had a year round stakeholders engagement, considerably improving hygiene practices, waste containerisation and evacuation among others.
Wahab reminded residents who indulge in defacing the environment, that LAWMA, within the time under review, apprehended and prosecuted about 1,100 defaulters, a majority of whom were sentenced to hours of community service or fined various sums of money.
He contended that to sustain the current momentum of achievements by the agency, stakeholders engagement, public enlightenment must continue on all media platforms, sending messages on efficient waste management best practices to all strata of society.
The commissioner commended LAWMA Academy for continuously expanding its reach of pupils for waste management education, which averaged 1,400 pupils in eight primary schools across the state.
Wahab lauded LAWMA for prioritising 24-hour response time to complaints, urging residents to shun reckless waste disposal at unauthorised locations, to avoid harsh environmental consequences as the rains approach.