Concerns as illegal dumpsites spring up across Lagos

Lagos State government seems unperturbed as the illegal dumpsites that dot the city increase with regulatory agencies not taking action to halt the activities of the managers of these unapproved dumpsites.

This is because across the state, new illegal dumpsites are springing up, especially along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. However, illegal dumpsites are not limited to that corridor of the state.

From Orile to Ijora, Iddo, Mosalasi, Agboju, Oluti, Alakija, Abule-Ado, Berger Suya, Anthony, Cele and to Badia, there are spots with heaps of refuse dumped there mainly by cart pushers.

Yet the law that made it illegal for cart pushers to collect waste and patronise illegal dumpsites gave the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) the statutory responsibility to collect waste and dispose them at designated landfills.

Section 63 (1) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 made it illegal to operate any waste collection, transportation, recycling, and disposal business without a license issued by an agent of the state government.

Aside from Section 63 (1) of the law, Section 81 of the law also prohibits the collection and disposal of waste in a way that has an adverse effect on the environment.

An item on Section 81 stated: “A person shall not treat, keep or dispose of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health.”

That section stipulated a N50,000 fine with two years imprisonment for persons who contravene the law .

Ironically, despite the provisions of the law, cart pushers have continued to operate unabated in different parts of the state, with almost all the cart pushers emptying their content in unapproved dumpsites, thereby, instigating environmental hazards on the community with its negative health implication on the residents.

In some of the dumpsites, the outer part of the site looks like a recycling point. This is because different recyclable items are separated and heaped at different locations within the site.

But behind those recyclable items are remnants of burnt or huge refuse about to be burnt. It was learnt that at late night, managers of these unapproved dumpsites burn whatever is left after recyclable items have been removed from the waste collected from homes by cart pushers.

In places like Anthony, Cele and Orile, aside from some of the waste being burnt, some are used to reclaim the swampy spots within the area.

Surprisingly, while Lagos State law prohibits the activities of cart pushers and people who patronise them, some residents said they prefer the outlawed cart pushers because of easy access to the cart pushers whose charges are also cheaper and the failure and inefficiency of the LAWMA PSP operators.

Also, worthy of mentioned is that in many of the dumpsites, cart pushers pay to empty their waste in the sites.

“It is more convenient for me, I don’t have to wait two weeks before LAWMA comes to carry my waste. They (cart pushers) pass every day and I decide when to dispose of my waste at a small price,” Kehinde Abayomi, a resident said.

According to Kemi Adetunji, a resident of Abule-Ado, there are a few cart pushers who roam the area to pick waste from homes just as some residels that do not patronize the PSP operators often burn their waste.

A resident of Itire, Bola Ogoluwakitan, said many residents patronize cart pushers because PSP operators are inconsistent in showing up to pick waste from the community.

For TayoOgunbanjo, there are no illegal dumpsites within her area of Ogba though some residents indiscriminately dump wastes in some places.

According to her, many residents within her corridor patronise LAWMA’s PSP. “We even pay for it individually, but some few others in the area still patronise cart pushers though they are very minimal compared to those who patronize the PSP operators.

“We still have residents who also throw their waste beside the road late night to do this. You know some people are naturally dirty or violate the law,” Ogunbanjo said.

A resident of Agboju, John Chukwuemeka, said though there are PSP operator meant for his that usually come to pick up waste, but the operator don’t often show up at the agreed days, as a result people are compelled to patronise cart pushers.

“However, some residents that are not willing to pay the PSP operators are those that are involved in indiscriminate dumping of waste at unapproved sites.”

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, stated that the available illegal dumpsites are isolated cases, saying human element should be blamed for the springing up of the illegal dumpsites.

He maintained that LAWMA is more alive to its duties reason its trucks are always moving around the state to pick waste. He wondered where the sense of decency of the residents is if they disposed waste where they ought not to. “So, we should also address ourselves as it is not an issue for government a lone to grapple with.”

He maintained that state government is doing a lot in waste management including equipping LAWMA with the appropriate tools to work.