Environment
…Clears black spots and shorelines, conducts joint enforcement, deepens community engagement
THE Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its ongoing Operation Deep Clean across Lagos State, combining extensive black spot clearance, shoreline cleaning, coordinated enforcement operations and community engagement as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation, prevent flooding and promote environmental sustainability across the State.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin said that the Authority would sustain the statewide intervention until black spots were eliminated and compliance with environmental laws significantly improved.
He noted that the latest phase of Operation Deep Clean covered Fadeyi, Shiro, Morocco Road, Somolu, Marine Beach, Mobil Road, Ajegunle, Apapa, Alimosho, Akowonjo, Itire and other areas, where LAWMA operatives evacuated heaps of waste, cleared illegal dumpsites and removed waste from shorelines and other flood-prone locations to improve environmental sanitation and facilitate the free flow of stormwater.
Dr. Gbadegesin observed that while LAWMA had continued to intensify waste evacuation and environmental remediation across the State, indiscriminate waste disposal by some residents and businesses remained one of the greatest challenges to sustainable waste management.
He said: “Effective waste management is a shared responsibility. Government will continue to strengthen waste management infrastructure, improve service delivery and enforce environmental laws, but residents and businesses also have a legal obligation to patronise their assigned PSP operators and dispose of waste responsibly. Lasting environmental sustainability can only be achieved when everyone plays their part.”
The LAWMA boss stressed the need for stronger collaboration among residents, community leaders, market associations, Community Development Associations, and Private Sector Participants (PSPs) to ensure cleaner and healthier neighbourhoods across the state.
He disclosed that the Authority had also sustained joint enforcement operations along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, particularly around the Alaba Rago corridor, in collaboration with the enviromental sanitation task force and the military, to combat indiscriminate waste disposal, dismantle illegal waste black spots and protect critical public infrastructure.
According to him, the coordinated enforcement exercise complemented ongoing clean-up interventions by discouraging environmental infractions and preventing the re-emergence of black spots across the State.
Dr. Gbadegesin added that LAWMA would continue to deploy a combination of sustained clean-up interventions, coordinated enforcement, stakeholder engagement and public enlightenment to eliminate illegal dumpsites and strengthen compliance with environmental regulations.
He noted that the intervention also provided an opportunity to engage residents, community leaders, traders and other stakeholders on practical measures to prevent the recurrence of black spots through improved environmental monitoring, greater compliance with approved waste collection arrangements and stronger community ownership of environmental sanitation.
The LAWMA boss urged residents and businesses to support the Authority’s ongoing efforts by patronising assigned PSP operators, properly bagging and storing their waste, refraining from indiscriminate waste disposal and reporting environmental infractions through established LAWMA channels.
He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to sustaining Operation Deep Clean and other strategic interventions across Lagos, noting that the campaign would continue to integrate waste evacuation, environmental enforcement, flood mitigation and community engagement in line with the Lagos State Government’s vision of building a cleaner, healthier and more resilient megacity.
F.O
Tags: Enforcement LAWMA Operation Deep Clean’