The Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) on Tuesday visited the Abubakar Gumi market in Kaduna to sensitise traders on the need to keep a cleaner environment.
Ibrahim Rigasa, General Manager KEPA, who led the team on a plastic pick up exercise to mark the world environmental day said the aim was to encourage the traders imbibe the culture of waste management.
According to him, it was also to enlighten the traders on the benefits of keeping a clean environment for healthy growth.
He said “Our visit to the Gumi central market market is to sensitise the traders on the need to avoid waste and air pollution.
“It is expedient for them to manage their domestic wastes, especially by desisting from littering their surroundings or dumping refuse into the drains and canals, because these activities are hazardous to human health.”
In his contribution, Mohammed Yahaya, Commander, Safety Awareness and Environmental Support Initiative (SAESI), urged the traders to also embark on the clearance of drains in the market.
“We are worried that during every rainy season about the clogging of gutters due to activities of residents, which is a major cause of flooding.
“That is why we have brought this project to the traders, so that as traders, they will make it an important point of duty to keep their environment clean everyday.”
Also, Doris Zakama, Programme Manager, Center for Water and Environment Development (CWED), said the organisation was involved in advocacy to promote cleanliness in markets.
“Our message to the traders is that keeping their environment clean is a participatory thing, it should not just be left in the hands of government alone.
“We want them to complement the efforts of government to ensure that they always keep their environment tidy towards a sustainable environment.
“Our strong message to the traders is that they must desist from the acts of throwing plastics and nylon into the nearby drains and canal within the market environment.
“By so doing, any form of epidemic outbreak will be forestalled.”
The Chairman of the market, Alhaji Ibrahim Daudawa, expressed joy over the initiative and pledged to mobilise other market leaders to ensure that the market environment was always kept clean.
He also assured that the cleanup of the market would henceforth be a daily routine for all traders.
“When the market is constantly kept clean, it helps to prevent the outbreak of epidemic such as cholera, typhoid fever and malaria, and as market leaders, we shall continue to ensure traders keep the market tidy for the benefit and good of all.”
(NAN)
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