In line with its desire of ensuring a healthy and hazard free environment in all communities in the state, the Rivers State Government has flagged off the establishment of Environment Departments in the 23 local government areas of the State.
Commissioner for Environment, Prof Roseline Konya who disclosed this at a ceremony in Port Harcourt, said that the departments will work in consonance with the Community Environment Programme (CEP) of the ministry.
Konya said that the Community Environment Programme (CEP) is a grass- root initiative by the Ministry of Environment, stressing that the programme is expected to provide directions and also focus all neigbourhoods towards behavioural change that will achieve desired, acceptable and affordable environmental standards within every community.
“Apparently, the establishment of the Environment Departments has become imperative, if we must achieve a healthy and hazard free environment in our communities ultimately, the activities of the Environment Departments will in no small measure ensure effective and efficient compliance to general environmental standards in the communities” she said.
According to her, the Community Environment Programme (CEP) will help to check some negative environmental practices in the communities, such as, indiscriminate defecation, and sewage disposal, dumping of refuse in drainages and other unauthorised places, building on, and blockage of waterways, air pollution, water pollution and deforestation, adding that to achieve this, the residents of all communities must be involved.
Konya also announced plans by the Ministry to embark on quarterly review of the activities of the Environment Departments in all the local Government Areas.
“This invarably means that the environmental activities of the LGA s in sanitation and the general environment shall be reviewed quarterly, supervised by the Hon commissioner for Environment personally”.
She used the occasion to commend Chinwo Town Community in Ogbunubali for setting up its own Community Environment Committee and the Woji Town Environment Committee.
Also speaking chairman of the Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Chinwo Town, Prince Williams Chinwo described Community Environment Programme a vital and veritable tool towards the successful implementation of the ministry policy trust at the grassroot. We must understand that for effective governance to be achieved, both the vision and mission of the state must transcend to the grassroot, otherwise such objective will be void.
Chinwo used the occasion to thank the environment Commissioner for recognizing the role of Community Environment Committees, stressing that, the Chinwo Town Environment Committee is deeply concerned at the high level of pollution in the state.