Pollution is a major problem in many cities around our world today, but its effects are more severe specifically in large population cities, for instance, Lagos State, Nigeria, where I reside. Lagos City is known as the largest city in West Africa and is highly populated. Here in Lagos, there are many things that cause pollution, which affects both lives and our environment. According to TVC News Live I listened to the other time, up to thirty thousand people die yearly in Lagos due to pollution. I also read somewhere that Lagos State is the second-most polluted city in Africa. It's that bad, and unfortunately, control measures haven't been strong enough in different localities of Lagos.
One major cause of pollution in my own area is improper waste disposal. Even though the waste management issues have been partially arrested, we still see people messing up the environment with their waste and polluting the environment.
Remember, when waste is not properly disposed of, it could contaminate the water, the soil, and the air and definitely lead to both environmental and health issues with the residents of such a locality.
Before now, we had issues with the services of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). They are meant to reach all the localities in Lagos to pack the waste on a weekly basis. Later on, weeks turn into one month and then into three months, and you wouldn't see these people with their big vehicles to pack the wastes. Most of us in the community have to go private instead of living with waste, inhaling the bad odor. The waste, when left for a long time, also attracts rats, and these are not a healthy lifestyle in any way.
However, some people, instead of finding solutions to the problem, will come out at night and dump the garbage wherever it pleases them on the public road.
It became a concern because one can hardly pass without throwing up spit. Personally, I once vomited upon inhaling such a terrible bad odor. My kids have suffered from a catarrh due to the same mess. Sometimes, the infections I treat them for, who knows whether they came from the same source? Honestly, it was bad, but in our community group, the issue was raised, and while everyone paid for road sanitation first to clear the mess, a plan was made to report the issue to IBEJU LEKKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL.
At times, it's vital to express a particular concern with the government; sometimes they attend to issues urgently. I really don't know whether the tricycle, which was now made available to be carrying waste daily, was already in progress at the local government level as at the time of our complaints, but it wasn't up to two weeks after we laid a complaint about the dirty environment we were having due to improper waste management, and many tricycles were provided in our community.
Nowadays, these tricycles come in daily in search of waste to pack and dispose of them appropriately but with a cost. One full nylon of waste cost #800. I think it's okay; I don't mind paying that and maintaining a healthy environment to avoid cholera, diarrhea, infections, and other diseases associated with living with waste.
However, some persons have refused to pay, and what they do is throw in their waste in a nearby undeveloped land; some threw theirs in a canal near us. I am wondering what can be done for humans to be really satisfied.
From the above discussion, you could see how the waste management issues have so far been tackled, but yet, some Judases amongst us in our community wouldn't stick with the rules but still choose to dispose of their waste improperly, and to some extent, their actions still affect lives and the environment.
Overall, if strict measures are implemented, like placing a fine on defaulters, then I see this particular cause of pollution in my area ending soon.
This is my response to the #HiveLearners community contest on the topic titled, Cause of Pollution.