Two environmentalists have advised Nigerians to stop discharging toxic waste into the nation’s water bodies so as not to endanger the aquatic lives therein.
The duo, Dr Samuel Akingbehi and Ms Omobola Eko, gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
They spoke on recent mass death of various species of fishes in the Niger Delta waters.
According to them, the practice is anti-environment sustainability and endangers aquatic life.
NAN reports that preliminary investigation conducted by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) revealed that toxic discharge into the nation’s coastline caused the death of many fishes around the waters in Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa weeks ago.
Speaking to NAN, Akingbehi, President of the Environmental Health Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), said that the presence of harmful toxic in the coastline could cause a nation huge lost by exterminating life in the waters.
According to him, the fish is a source of food to the people and so many depended on fishing to earn a living.
“The presence of toxic discharge from domestic and industrial waste into the waters distorts the nation’s biodiversity.
This, in turn, poses a threat to human and environmental sustainability.
“The trend, whereby organisations and individuals see as escape route to industrial and domestic waste management, will spell doom for present and posterity if not checked.
“It is common sight to see unconventional waste management operators (cart pusher) emptying their waste collection into the lagoon.
“This is an eye saw and should be halted,’’ he said.
The EHOAN president said that during water peculation, those toxic wastes do not amount to anything good in the ecosystem.
Rather, they posed a threat to living organisms within the host, leading to an environmental crisis.
The environmentalist, who called for stiffer penalty against the perpetrators, said that tough sanction was needed to stop the environment violation because the consequences of the act were generic.
Ms Omobola Eko, the Convener of the Urban Tree Revival Initiative (UTRI), said the presence of toxic depletes the quality and quantity of fossil in the environment.
According to Eko, waste, especially industrial type, if not properly disposed of, is capable of causing an epidemic that can threaten public health.
She called on the general public to guide their environment properly against toxic waste discharge, in view of the adverse consequences. (NAN)
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