Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has decried the indiscriminate dumping of waste and resultant pollution of the Kara river.

Its Director-General/CEO, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, identified the indiscriminate dumping of Waste into the river and poor hygiene at Kara cattle market, as an ecological disaster in the making.

Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Environment, Ola Oresanya, in an unscheduled visit to the market as part of LASEMA’s Early Warning proactive initiatives in 2021.

He said the threat of rebound phenomenon of flooding occurrence in Kara, which will affect Lagos State, prompted the meeting with Ogun state officials.

Dr.Oke-Osanyintolu warned that the menace posed by the refuse thrown into the river and poor hygiene has increased the fire hazards in the market area to unprecedented levels.

He assured that LASEMA will be on high alert regarding situation in the area to ensure the safety of lives and property as mandated by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration.

The LASEMA Boss disclosed that the Ogun State Government has unveiled a Workplan that will be operational within two weeks, on how to check the menace.

As part of the Agency’s immediate response, the LASEMA DG harped on the need for the cattle market operators to Build septic tanks to store all human waste, while erection of a Waste Retention Tank was also part of the mandate at the Abattoir for the animals.

According to him, this was supported with strategic placement of waste collection materials around the market.

He recommended a daily cleaning of the market and a mandate to commence aggressive Cleaning of existing waste in the Kara Market immediately.