By Ifeizu Joe
The Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Works and Infrastructure has raised serious concerns over the indiscriminate disposal of domestic wastes into public drainage channels.
The committee while carrying out oversight inspection of the ongoing 1.8-kilometre interlocking road and drainage construction project at Iyiowa Odekpe,
lamented that the culture of dumping wastes in drainages is causing destruction on road infrastructure built by the Anambra State Government with taxpayers’ money.
The committee warned that the unhealthy practice poses a significant threat to the sustainability of the state’s ongoing road infrastructure projects.
During the exercise, the chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, Hon Emma Nwafor said the inspection formed part of the committee’s constitutional oversight responsibility to evaluate the quality, pace and compliance of contractors handling road projects across the state.
He said: “This oversight exercise is aimed at ensuring that government road projects are executed according to approved specifications and that the people derive maximum value from public funds.
“We have inspected the ongoing 1.8-kilometre interlocking road and drainage project at Iyiowa Odekpe, and we are impressed with the quality of work delivered so far.
“But we want to warn about the culture of clogging our drainages with wastes. It poses great danger to public infrastructure and we want our people to stop it.
The project contractor, Engineer Jack Afara, lamented that residents had continued to channel wastewater from their homes into newly constructed drainage systems, a development he said had already begun to compromise the functionality of the drains.
“Every property owner should provide a standard soakaway system, while community leaders and residents must sustain regular environmental sanitation to ensure that drainage channels remain free of waste and silt. Protecting public infrastructure is a collective responsibility,” he added.
