Two traditional rulers in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday charged residents in their domains to keep their environments clean at all times to avoid outbreak of epidemics.

The Sarkin Jere, Alhaji Sa’ad Usman, and the Sarkin Shanu Hakimin Jere, Dr Ishaq Usman, who  made the call in separate interviews advised the people to keep their surroundings tidy in line with religious injunctions and to maintain minimum health standards.

They also  urged them to sustain the prevailing peace in the area for developmental purposes.

Dr. Ishaq Usman asked his subjects to rear their livestock properly by preventing them from straying into roads, public places or damaging farmlands or risk sanctions.

“We receive complaints that some livestock owners allow their animals to stray unto major roads and streets, destroy farmlands and crops as well as cause health and environmental hazards,’’ Usman said.

On his part, Ishaq decried the recent death of five residents to cholera and enjoined the people to maintain clean and healthy environments to prevent future epidemic.

Ishaq advised the people to boil their drinking water sourced from wells and streams as well as wash vegetables before consumption to avoid contracting the disease.

The traditional ruler, however, commended Gov. Patrick Yakowa for deploying drugs, vaccines and medical personnel to arrest the situation.

He appealed to the state government to provide adequate medical facilities and equipment to the general hospitals in Jere and Kagarko as well as the PHC at Tafa.

It would be recalled that several lives were lost to cholera and several other diseases between April and August this year in parts of the state.