The Lagos State Government has urged Victoria Island and Ikoyi residents to prioritise clean environment by being observant and protective of their immediate environment.
Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said on Friday, December 21, 2018 in Lagos that the rate at which the highbrow areas were being defaced was alarming.
Durosinmi-Etti said the ugly development was illegal and capable of causing grave danger to the community.
He, therefore, urged strict adherence to Lagos State laws regarding waste management, noise pollution and the approved master plan of government for the area.
The commissioner said that the situation in which property owners in the area allowed indiscriminate conversion of the residential areas to commercial use was not acceptable.
He said that it had seriously contributed to increase in refuse generation in the area, as well as the attendant illegal dumping of refuse in unauthorised places.
Durosinmi-Etti said that government was commited to attain a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
He frowned at the ugly development whereby some residents continued to patronise cart pushers and dump waste indiscriminately on the roads in spite several warnings on the environmental and health implications of such acts.
Durosinmi-Etti said that government had repeatedly warned against any abuse of its laws and all acts capable of compounding the challenge of waste management in the state.
He said that there had been proliferation of religious worship centres and Nite clubs in various residential areas in Victoria Island and Ikoyi metropolis and called for caution on the noise level to avoid rancour in the society.
“Any noise above the approved levels contravened the provisions of the National Environmental Noise Standard and Controls Regulations 2009, as well as the Lagos State Environmental Laws 2017,” Durosinmi-Etti said in a statement.
He called for the cooperation of religious centres and club owners on the maintenance of the acceptable noise levels for residential areas, which was 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night.
The commissioner said that they were expected to operate in an enclosed and soundproof environment with regulated use of speakers.
He added that government would not rest on its oars in ensuring that Lagosians inculcate the habit of regular maintenance of their immediate environment, as doing so was a collective responsibility.
By Florence Onuegbu
