Black soot in Rivers: Waste agency bans burning of tires
The Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah, has warned that anyone caught burning tires in any part of the state would be arrested and prosecuted according to the law.
Bro. Obuah said in a press statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, that the warning became necessary as the state government had put in measures to forestall further spread of black soot which was currently posing serious threat to residents of Rivers State.
He stated that the fight against the black soot could only be won if residents and those doing businesses in the state complied with government’s directive, assuring that the ban on burning of tires was done in their best interest in view of the dangers it posed to human health.
The Sole Administrator also warned that it was illegal to burn tires even at dump sites, on the roads and streets, stressing that no one was precluded from the directive.
While urging the people of the State to support the efforts of Governor Nyesom Wike in completely eradicating the black soot, Bro. Obuah said the environment would be free from contamination if residents stopped the burning of fossil fuel, for which tires remain an intrinsic part.
Bro. Obuah who applauded the setting up of a task force by Governor Wike on the black soot pollution, called on residents to discard their waste, including unused tires only at approved receptacles and dump sites provided by the agency.
The RIWAMA, boss who solicited cooperation from the people, also promised that the agency would continue to render quality and efficient service delivery to the people, adding that the restoration of Rivers State to its Garden City status was a task that must be done.
It would be recalled that residents in Rivers State had cried out to Governor Wike to proclaim a state of emergency following the continued emission of black soot in the state, particularly in Port Harcourt and its environs.
The Black Soot, which was first noticed in August 2016, had become more intense and consistent in the past few weeks, formed in black particles and settled on roof tops, car tops, on human bodies, and in homes had sent panic waves to the people of the state.
Subsequently, the Rivers State Government set up a task force to tackle the black soot menace. The Task Force was mandated to investigate and resolve the environmental challenges emanating from the problem.
