Bauchi residents groan as dusty abandoned road poses health risk

Residents of Dorowa Delale, behind the old airport, Bauchi metropolis are groaning over excessive dust emanating from the abandoned Shafa Roundabout–Zango road posing a risk of respiratory, cancer, and other dust-related diseases to the road users.

The road which was flagged off for construction on 25th February, 2021 by the Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri is part of the Kaura City project under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) with an Abuja-based Construction and Civil Engineering Company, KK Kingdom.

The 2.8km road was projected to be completed within 18 months with the Kaura City sited at the old airport at the cost of N4.8billion. The then Commissioner of land and survey, Prof Adamu Ahmed had told newsmen that: “The state government is contributing the land under a land swap arrangement, KK Kingdom Nigeria Limited will invest N4.5 billion in the first instance, to deliver top-class serviced plots on 81 hectares of prime land and a 2.8km dual carriageway, part of the inner southern bye-pass corridor, in exchange for right over a percentage of serviced plots.”

The Guardian observed that the slow pace of work is posing health risks on the residents who are now going out with face masks while whose houses are close to the road bear the brunt of the construction.

“We can’t leave our windows open and you can’t afford to shut them completely. We now wear face masks even at home. Anytime the vehicles pass it is a problem, the dust is just too much,” a resident, Abubakar Yakubu said.

Another resident, Abdullahi Umar said that: “When the road was flagged off for construction we were happy and prayed for the governor.

“We could see development springing up but now, most of the businesses are closing their shops because of the dust. Now there is no more rain, the dust is just too much for us.”

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that airborne dusts are associated with classical widespread occupational lung diseases such as the pneumoconiosis, as well as with systemic intoxications such as lead poisoning, especially at higher levels of exposure.

Its recent report to aid dust control and the reduction of disease said that, “There is an increasing interest in other dust-related diseases, such as cancer, asthma, allergic alveolitis and irritation, as well as a whole range of non-respiratory illnesses, which may occur at much lower exposure levels.

“Whenever people inhale airborne dust at work, they are at risk of occupational disease. Year after year, both in developed and in developing countries, overexposure to dust causes disease, temporary and permanent disabilities and deaths. Dusts in the workplace may also contaminate or reduce the quality of products, be the cause of fire and explosion, and damage the environment,” WHO said.