BY Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The Anambra State Government, TechnoServe, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Coca Cola Foundation and some other foreign and local agencies are set for a partnership stakeholders meeting where resolutions would be reached on removal of plastics from the waterways to guard against blockages and floodings.
Speaking to HEADLINE NEWS in his office at the Government House Awka, Managing Director of the Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA) Mr. Mike Ozoemena, said the meeting which is scheduled for Thursday this week, will amongst other numerous salient issues deliberate on how best to keep the State clean and healthy devoid of degradations.
Ozoemena who stated that plastics take about 400 years to decay, maintained that the best way to dispose of plastics was to recycle them and not dumping them in the drainage channels.
He equally mentioned that ASWAMA is keying into the operations of the Ministry of Environment as the ministry targets to remove over 49,000 metric tons of plastic wastes from the soil and waterways, stressing that all the communities are involved in the exercise as community with the biggest plastic waste collections gets N1 Million cash prize while second position receives N500,000 and third position takes N300,000 apart from payments from off takers.
He said Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has challenged them to clean the streets of Anambra as well as get to the point of turning waste into wealth. According to him, investors are coming in to also turn organic wastes into manures, electricity and so on, adding that everybody in the state can make money from waste.
The ASWAMA boss disclosed that currently there is a Plastic Pickup Challenge going on in the state and championed by the Anambra State Waste Recyclers Association aimed at removing plastics from the streets, waterways, soil and farmlands.
Ozoemena noted that the target was to pickup about 100, 000 metric tons of plastic wastes from Anambra state before the end of the year.
Ozoemena also told HEADLINE NEWS that the partnership stakeholders meeting on plastic wastes removal would be held at Hilton Leisure Hotel Awka, the Anambra state capital.
##
0 Comments