Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State, has seen significant growth and development in recent years. However, this growth comes with the challenge of maintaining a clean and healthy environment. One crucial aspect of achieving this is ensuring adequate waste management infrastructure.
Currently, the city’s waste management system faces several challenges, including inadequate waste bins, insufficient waste collection services, and lack of awareness about proper waste disposal practices.
This has led to indiscriminate dumping of waste blocking drainages leading to environmental pollution.
As we speak places like Iman junction around Afokang axis, Ekpo Abasi round about, White House by Hart Street and many others are in dire need of waste bins.
This is to prevent residents of the aforementioned areas from dumping their waste into the gutters that eventually end up blocking the drainage system resulting to flooding, especially now that the rains are fast approaching.
According to metrologists, Calabar is among the flood prone cities in Nigeria. As a result, the government must provide adequate waste bins at strategic locations in the Metropolis to discourage indiscriminate discarding of refuse into gutters and drainage areas.
Apart from waste bins provision, the government’s administration must encourage proper waste disposal practic among residents.
An environmental expert, with the University of Calabar, Dr Kayode Olusola, while commenting on the issue, averred that increasing the number of waste bins would lead to Improved public health through reduced risk of disease transmission, enhanced environmental sustainability that leads to increased attractiveness for tourism and investments.
A situation where refuse bin is sometimes seen filled to the brim particularly around Calabar road by Montessori school junction with litter all over the place is an eye sore which should not be tolerated by the concerned authority.
Caroline Mathew who claimed to be an expert in the tourism sector while proffering solution to the issue averred that what Governor Otu’s administration should do is to take a significant step towards maintaining a clean and healthy Calabar by providing more waste bins stressing that when the environment is healthy and beautiful it will attract tourists into the state.
She said that the initiative would demonstrate the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and public health. By working together, Calabar can become a model for effective waste management in Nigeria and the most sought after tourist destination.