Lagos govt to supply water to households as Adiyan Water project nears completion, says Commissioner
Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State government will soon begin supplying water to millions of households as the state government is almost completing the Adiyan Waterworks project which is the biggest water project in the state.
According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, while answering questions from Lagosians on a social media platform ‘Ask Lagos’ on X formerly Twitter, the state government is working round the clock to ensure that pipe-borne water is connected to every home.
“We are working by making sure Adinyan, which is the biggest water infrastructure we have in Lagos, with 70 million gallon capacity per day, comes on board and discharges and gives our people pipe-borne water. If we get this going by the next few months because contractors are working seriously on the project , the cost and effect on our health will be unquantifiable,” Wahab said
One of the callers in the platform, Desire suggested the state government should have a central complaint centre where Lagosians can lodge their complaints to bring the attention of government to issues concerning the environment.
She also raised concerns over continued demolition of buildings by the government especially in the Lekki axis of the state.
Desire asked what government is doing about it’s waste management saying indiscriminate dumping of waste has resulted in blocked drainages and flooding which is affecting several parts of the state
Another caller, Dr Ola who is a Nigerian in the diaspora said he is willing to come back to Nigeria but wanted to know If there is a directive or policy by the Lagos state government that mandates people doing certain businesses to be responsible for certain impacts of their business on the environment.
He mentioned the negative effects sachet water is having on the environment describing it as a pandemic in Nigeria because of its pollution. He noted that the government should support businesses that are eco-friendly.
Dr Ola also raised concerns about open defecation saying enough public toilets should be provided to ensure that public defecation Is curbed in Lagos
Another caller, Olajide, drew the attention of the commissioner to the stench coming out of the Olusosun Ojota Refuse Dump Area and urged the government to do something about the area.
Dr Gbadegesin in his contribution said there’s nothing called waste adding that everything can be reused or be recycled. He sought to know the role of the Ministry of Environment in educating people on the importance of turning waste to wealth.
He expressed his company’s readiness to partner with Lagos State government in waste management.
One Victor asked the commissioner about efforts the state government is putting to stop miscreants living in abandoned buildings saying they pose security threats to the society.
Ahmed in his contribution asked how the government is utilizing the waste coming from various abbatoirs across the state.
While responding to some of the questions, Wahab said . Lagos houses 10% of the country’s population and because of its commercial attraction, it is a melting pot for all Nigerians which has now thrown up the environmental challenges the state is experiencing
He said there is a need for Lagosians to be resilient and make the state better. He noted that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration has been putting in place resilient infrastructure to help discharge stormwater and reduce the issues bordering on flooding and flash flooding.
On the issue of open defecation, Wahab explained that the practice has been banned but the governor and his deputy are also working around the clock to ensure that in years to come, the state will have in place a policy that will discourage open defecation.such as advocacy, awareness and enforcement.
He noted that they are also putting in place the infrastructure to ensure that the state has at least over 100 public toilets across the states.
On waste management, the commissioner said. Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, and the PSP operators were set up to cut away waste which LAWMA has ‘been doing super well.’ He however admitted that some PSP operators have not been performing well which the government is now addressing.
He urged Lagosians to stop dumping their waste in drainages and task them to take ownership of their environment.
“It just shows bad behaviour. Let us take ownership of our environment. It will reduce the burden on LAWMA and then let us see something and say something,” he said.
Wahab expressed happiness that the ban on the use of Styrofoam has yielded desired results and reiterated the government ‘s resolve to ban single-use plastics next year.
On the Olusosun dump site, Wahab said the place has been decommissioned and other dump sites across the state will also be turned into waste-to-wealth project.
He further said the state is working with a Swedish government and their funders to convert waste generated by abattoirs into biogas.
The Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the governor, Jubril Gawat commended the commissioner for his efficiency. He noted that the ban on Styrofoam has yielded positive results.
On advocacy, he noted that Lagosians should imbibe the culture of protecting their environment rather than waiting for the government to tell them what to do. He urged them to take ownership of their environment.
The Commissioner urged Lagosians to always direct any report on waste management to the Managing Director of LAWMA assuring them their complaints will be attended to.
