.Says enforcement team will ensure compliance
General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Babatunde Ajayi, yesterday, warned residents to always remember that the environmental laws that prohibit pollution, loud music and noises from worship centres, club houses, as well as other environmental infractions that can negatively impact on human health, are still in force.
Specifically, Ajayi called on leadership and members of various religious organisations, club owners, industries and other interest groups operating in the state to recall various stakeholders’ engagement held by the state government and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) jointly agreed on that the Yuletide should be moderately celebrated with less noise, no pollution and strict adherence to the state’senvironmental laws in the best interest of the public health.
In a statement, the general manager of the agency warned that his enforcement team would be on patrol 24 hours every day to ensure compliance with the state’s regulations on noise and general environmental pollution throughout the festive period.
According to him, all religious houses, club houses and other entertainment outlets are to operate within enclosed and soundproofed environments with regulated use of speakers, giving due consideration to neighboring residents during and after the celebration.
He said that the standard approved noise level in residential area shall not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night while that of industrial and commercial areas in the state shall not exceed 90 and 70 decibels respectively during the day.
Ajayi added that worship centres must equally reduce the number of internally-placed speakers to the barest minimum, such that those speakers would address only the congregation/members of that centre and not the neighborhood.
Besides, he said that all open air and outdoor activities in the state should henceforth be carried out with due authorisation from relevant government agencies, while those involving the use of amplifiers and speakers should hold after due authorisation from LASEPA without contravening the stipulated approved noise limit for that environment.
