Harmattan: Commissioner urges Lagosians to avoid bush and solid waste burning

The Lagos State Commissioner for The Environment, Dr Babatunde Adejare, on Friday urged Lagosians to avoid bush and solid waste burning during the harmattan period.

Adejare gave the advice in a statement sent to newsmen by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, the Ministry’s Head, Public Affairs and Research.

He said the advice became necessary to avoid acts that could lead to fire outbreak.

“As our environment becomes dusty and hazy with dryness to everything including trees, wooden items, leaves and furniture, residents should be extremely careful with fire.

“This will help prevent outbreaks because fire is nobody’s friend.

“Lagosians should take precautionary measures by making sure that they install fire extinguishers in homes, offices, market places and motor parks.

“Residents should patronise PSP operators for disposing their refuse as burning of refuse or patronising cart pushers is clearly against the law and inimical to our well being,” the commissioner said.

Adejare said that Lagosians should have noticed changes in the weather condition as a result of the North-East wind blowing across the country after traversing vast Sahara desert.

According to him, this is a yearly weather phenomenon that occurs mostly between December and March.

He said that the harmattan being experienced in the state would subside at the end of February 2017 with intermittent breaks in January.

The commissioner said that motorists should ensure that they have fire extinguishers in their vehicles, maintain speed limits and observe road signs.

He said that residents should be mindful of their activities in parks and gardens, as the leaves and surroundings were dry.

Adejare charged people to obey the Public Smoking Law and avoid bringing inflammable objects to the gardens.

He said that Lagosians should stop storage of petrol and other inflammable materials in homes, offices, shops and markets, as it could aid fire outbreak.

According to him, virtually all objects in the environment are dry and combustible during harmattan period.

The commissioner said that residents should always switch off electrical appliances in their offices at the close of work and at homes as a way of preventing fire disasters during this period.
He urged drivers to beware of the hazy weather condition which had reduced visibility to less than 10 metres.