LAWMA Begins Rehabilitation of Dump Sites, Targets 850 Daily Trips By Bertram Nwannekanma

In this photo taken Friday, Jan, 24. 2014, scavengers in Lagos, Nigeria sort out iron and plastic to sell at the Olusosun dump site the city's largest dump. With a population of more than 20 million, garbage piles up on streets, outside homes and along the waterways and lagoons, creating eyesores and putrid smells. The booming city also has major electricity shortages and many residents rely on diesel generators that cloud the air with black exhaust. Nigeria's most populous city is turning these problems into an advantage by starting a program to convert waste into methane gas to generate electricity. A pilot program at a local market has already shown success on a smaller scale. Lagos’ waste management program is also organizing recycling to clean up the country's biggest city. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)

To ensure sustainability in its waste management and disposal efforts, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) had begun rehabilitation of its five legal dumpsites.

The exercise, which involves building 21 platforms on the sites will ensure the seeing off of wastes within 20 minutes, thereby increasing the PSP operators’ daily trips from 500 to 850.

Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni, who disclosed this at an interactive session with newsmen, said the move would reshape waste collection and disposal in the state.

He stressed that the operations of the 14,000 street-sweepers will also be reviewed to make them carry out night operations and ensure that cleaner city will be a morning gift for Lagos residents.

LAWMA, he said, has also set minimum standards and performance indicators for the PSP operators to ensure the sustainability of its objective, while plans are on to establish at least a recycler in each of the 57 local councils and create employment.

According to him, the authority is poised to return to its core activity of waste management and engagement with relevant stakeholders to know the challenges and address their concerns. He also indicated plans to reposition the blue box programme launched last year by the governor to ensure in-depth spread.

On medical waste, he said the authority is reviewing its operations to ensure that medical wastes are well segregated from others and well treated to avoid compliance that can result in health challenges.

Guardian (NG)

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