Abia to create more dumpsites, acquire refuse bins

Determined to sustain the status of the two major cities of Aba and Umuahia, the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) has mapped out strategies for refuse disposal in the state, including the creation of more refuse dumps and acquisition of more bins.

In recent times, the refuse on the streets of Aba and Umuahia has become a source of worry to the state government that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who was the immediate past deputy general manager of the agency in Abia zone, had to make refuse disposal and management one of the cardinal objectives of his administration.

But the General Manager, Mr. Ikechukwu Apugo, said ASEPA would rise to the challenge by creating more dumpsites and make more refuse bins available for proper disposal of wastes.

He said the sanitary standard of the state would not be compromised as all hands will be on deck in this regard. Apugoaddedthatthestate was poised to retain its position as the cleanest state in the country even as ASEPA was committed to bequeathing a legacy of healthy environment to the state. He, however, regretted that residents of these cities compound the refuse problem by pouring inflammable wastes into the bin which burns the receptacles.

The ASEPA general manager said the recent refuse heaps seen in Aba was as a result of the desilting and clearing of the gutters/drainages by the government for free flow of water as a result of the ongoing road rehabilitation in the city.