By RABIU SANI

Kano State Government says it has deployed 1,000 sanitation vanguards to enhance waste clearance and environmental health in the state.

Dr Kabiru Getso, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, made the disclosure while inspecting the monthly sanitation exercise in Kano on Saturday.

Getso said the sanitation vanguard were deployed to the 44 Local Government Areas of the state to fast track waste clearance exercise and environmental sanitation activities in the communities.

He said the measure was part of deliberate policy to encourage community engagement in waste and drain clearance as well as enhance environmental sanitation activities in the society.

Getso said the state’s Ministry of Environment had constituted an inspection committee to monitor and mobilise participation in the monthly sanitation exercise designed for achieving a clean and healthy environment.

On waste clearance exercise, Getso disclosed that state’s refuse management agency had cleared over 200 trucks of waste at Kofar Wambai area of Kano.

“Similar waste clearance exercise will be conducted in other parts of the metropolis and major towns in the state. The state government has not been idle in ensuring that the environment is clean, tidy and safe for human habitation.

“Members of the community should join hands with the government to sanitise the environment; everybody is a stakeholder and should, therefore, participate in the sanitation exercise to make the environment clean and safe,” he said.

Getso expressed joy over the level of compliance to the monthly sanitation exercise, hitherto, suspended in the past four months due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He added that a number of defaulters were tried and fined by the Environmental Sanitation Mobile Court.

“The ministry also mobilise Community Base Oraganisations (CBOs), to encourage drain and waste clearance exercise in the society,” he said

The commissioner noted that waste clearance exercise was imperative to control flood, malaria and protect the environment.

Getso urged the people to desist from indiscriminate dumping of waste on water ways and keep a clean environment for sustainable development of the state.

He also called on traders at Yan-Lemo perishable market to keep a clean environment, warning that government would not condone unhygienic condition at the market.

While commending transport workers at the Naibawa Motor Park for keeping their environment clean, Getso said the state government accorded priority to implementation of proactive environmental sanitation measures to protect public health.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commissioner inspected the exercise at Audu Bako Secretariat, Bompai, Jaba, Tudun Wada, Sarkin Yaki and Igbo Roads.

Others are Fagge, Kofar Wambai, Kofar Mazugal, Gwammaja and Goron Dutse areas of Kano metropolis. (NAN)

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