Expert stresses need for proper legislation on environment

An environmentalist, Dr Sunny Jimah, has called for proper legislation on building and regular environmental auditing and monitoring to check flooding which currently ravages parts of the country.Jimah, a lecturer at the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, made the call in Auchi, recently.He also advocated for adequate use of environmentalists by the governments.The environmentalist traced the problem of flooding to indiscriminate dumping of refuse, especially on drainage, by inhabitants.Jimah said that unless the government took proactive measures to tackle environmental problems now, some areas prone to environmental challenges in the country might go into extinction in the nearest future.According to him, flooding in the country goes beyond construction of drainage.He noted that most of the drainage constructed were not done with peculiarity of the area in mind.'This is the reason why you see that instead of solving the problem, we end up still being confronted with same."Drainage to ensure normal flow of water to the right channels are not available, even when available, they are inadequate.'This is because, the designers have not taken time to compute the water flow-rate in the area. Knowing the water flow-rate will place them in a better position to know the type of drainage to be provided.'Jimah decried the dearth of environmentalists, saying the few available were not being adequately used by the government.'Government has not really taken the issue of environment problem seriously. If government must take adequate measures, it should make use of environmentalists in the planning and monitoring processes.'Government should also gather a team of experts to draw up environmental blueprint for the country,' Jimah advised.The lecturer also cautioned inhabitants on indiscriminate dumping of refuse.Jimah said that apart from building on water ways which government must control, dumping of refuse on drainage was the major cause of flooding in rural areas, semi-urban centres and major cities.He called on the government to impose a severe sanction on defaulters to serve as deterrent to others.'Enact strict penalty for those who make drainage their dumpsite. Nigerians must also be made to obey planning laws and not build on water ways.
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