World Habitat Day:Ogun Asks Property Owners To Preserve Green Areas,Warns Against Refuse Burning

   

Ogun State government has asked property owners to earmark between 10 and  20 percentage of their land for green vegetation as part of  measures to reduce Carbon emission which depletes the ozone layer, just as it threatened to deal decively with anyone caught dumping refuse and burning them in unauthorized places 

The State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami and  Special Adviser on Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya made call in their seperate speeches during a press conference in Abeokuta, to herald the celebration of the 2021 World Habitat Day 

Tpl. Odunlami expressed the readiness of government to  fully enforce green areas within residential zones in the State to reduce carbon emissions 

The Commissioner added that the government would ensure strictly compliance to regulation that provides that every resident of the State must earmark at least 10 to 20 percent of their land for green vegetation.

According to him, "it is an age long regulation for building that you must set aside or provide 10 to 20 percent of your land for green, because it is the plant that absorbs the carbon that is emitted through human activities while the plants give us oxygen".

" When you don't have green areas around you the implication is that you will not have enough ventilation in your home',he stated.

Odunlami said the ministry want determined to enforce all necessary regulations while it will also engage stakeholders to elicit necessary behavioural change in the bid to keep our environment safe and more habitable. 

 The Commissioner noted that the government has also encouraged the use of energy efficient lightings saying even in government projects, the houses estates being constructed by government built with provisions for natural lighting and ventilation to discourage artificial ventilation so as to reduce the green house gases.

He also noted that the best way to mitigate the effect of global warming is to inculcate the necessary attitudinal change in the way we dispose our waste, saying even up to the way out automobile technicians dispose off their used black engine oils. You see some of them dispose the black oil in drainage channels which may become toxic to the aquatic animals because water flows from one place to another.

 Also speaking ,the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya said the government would no longer condone burning of refuse in any part of the state describing it as a wicked act.

Oresanya said the government had put in place an efficient door to door waste disposal system across the State, saying there will be no logical reason for anyone to create dump sites to burn wastes in any neighborhood

Such act according to him, "is punishable under law in the State".

He also noted the state , though enjoys the status of being the largest host to industries in the nation, "yet it comes with it's consequences for the environment

He  assured that the government had stepped up action to control industrial emissions. 

 

Oresanya however informed that presently the state now  has 96 cars per kilometer per hour, saying that the part of Lagos/Ibadan axis which falls within the State is more with close to 250cars per kilometer in an hour, informing that the state was already working with the Federal ministry of Environment to achieve the 46% carbon emission control.