The Ekiti State Government has begun enforcement against improper waste disposal, warning residents against activities capable of causing environmental nuisance or endangering public health.
This follows complaints of offensive odour in parts of Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, in a statement made available to journalists on Friday, condemned the discharge of wastewater and other waste into public drains.
She said the practice was responsible for the offensive odour reported by residents in the area.
The commissioner said a joint task force comprising officials of the ministry and security agencies discovered that accumulated kitchen waste from a catch pit had been discharged into a public drainage channel in Third Extension, GRA, Ado Ekiti.
“Government will not tolerate activities capable of causing environmental nuisance or posing health risks to residents.
“An abatement notice has been issued to the resident involved. Further action will be taken in accordance with relevant environmental laws to serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.
The commissioner said the inspection followed complaints from residents over activities suspected to be responsible for the obnoxious odour in the area.
She commended residents for reporting the incident and urged members of the public to provide useful information to the ministry to assist efforts to identify and tackle sources of recurrent offensive odour across the state.
Aluko-Ajisafe disclosed that the ministry had made several arrests and prosecuted offenders as part of its efforts to curb environmental nuisance, assuring that enforcement would be sustained.
