Residents and passers-by of Umuagu quarter, Oshimili South local government area of Delta state, Asaba, have raised an alarm over possible outbreak of epidemics in the area following the abandonment of the waste disposal van by the Private Sector Participants (PSPs) engaged by the state government to collect waste from houses.
The van which is abandoned along the ever busy Nnebisi road by the United Bank for Africa (UBA), on the road leading to the popular Umuagu altar, Asaba, was left by its operators in the last three days, ladened with waste which are harmful to the human health even as dirty and oozing liquid are seen littered the three road junction with heavy commercial activities.
Few kilometers from the van, the environment is saturated with offensive smell which has covered the area as road users and commuter covers their nostrils with handkerchiefs before passing the van.
HardReporters observed that food items such as bread, roasted corn, oranges, water melon, and groundnut among other edible foods and items are sold just by the side of the van as over 1000 persons inhales the odour on daily basis.
A cross section of traders and road users told our correspondent that the odour emanating from the van is enough to cause serious sickness to them and called on the state commissioner for environment, Mr. John Nani and the state government to as a matter of urgency and importance remove the van to avoid any form of outbreak of epidemics in the area and its environs.
“We have no other location we can relocate to on the immediate, that is why you still find us here. This is about the third day that this van got spoilt here; the driver and others whom we saw just abandoned it to our detriment and others who passes here daily.”, a resident lamented.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts by our correspondent to reach the Commissioner for environment, Mr. John Nani, chairman of the state PSPs and local government chairman, Mr. Uche Osadebe, were not successful as all calls and messages put across to their mobile phones were not responded to.
