*The Lagos State Waste Management Authority intensifies its ongoing ‘Operation Deep Clean’ across the metropolis, clearing black spots and shorelines while conducting joint enforcement and deepening community engagement
Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect
Amid the raining season in the “State of Aquatic Splendour”, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its ongoing ‘Operation Deep Clean’ across Lagos State, combining extensive black spot clearance, shoreline cleaning, coordinated enforcement operations and community engagement as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation, prevent flooding and promote environmental sustainability across the State.
Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LAWMA, said that the Authority would sustain the statewide intervention until black spots were eliminated and compliance with environmental laws significantly improved.
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Gbadegesin noted that the latest phase of Operation Deep Clean covered Fadeyi, Shiro, Morocco Road, Somolu, Marine Beach, Mobil Road, Ajegunle, Apapa, Alimosho, Akowonjo, Itire and other areas, where LAWMA operatives evacuated heaps of waste, cleared illegal dumpsites and removed waste from shorelines, and other flood-prone locations to improve environmental sanitation and facilitate the free flow of stormwater.
The Authority urged members of the public to remain calm and disregard unverified reports capable of causing unnecessary anxiety across the state.
The Managing Director and CEO also observed that while LAWMA has continued to intensify waste evacuation and environmental remediation across the State, indiscriminate waste disposal by some residents and businesses has remained one of the greatest challenges to sustainable waste management.
Mukaila Sanusi, Director of Public Affairs at LAWMA Sunday, July 5, 2926, stated Dr. Gbadegesin said: “Effective waste management is a shared responsibility.
“Government will continue to strengthen waste management infrastructure, improve service delivery and enforce environmental laws, but residents and businesses also have a legal obligation to patronise their assigned PSP operators and dispose of waste responsibly.
“Lasting environmental sustainability can only be achieved when everyone plays their part.”
According to him, there is a need for stronger collaboration among residents, community leaders, market associations, Community Development Associations, and Private Sector Participants (PSPs) to ensure cleaner and healthier neighbourhoods across the cosmopolitan state.
The LAWMA disclosed that the Authority had also sustained joint enforcement operations along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, particularly around the Alaba Rago corridor, in collaboration with the environmental sanitation task force, and the Military, to combat indiscriminate waste disposal, dismantle illegal waste black spots and protect critical public infrastructure.
The coordinated enforcement exercise complemented ongoing clean-up interventions by discouraging environmental infractions and preventing the re-emergence of black spots across the state, said he.
Dr. Gbadegesin also explained that LAWMA would continue to deploy a combination of sustained clean-up interventions, coordinated enforcement, stakeholder engagement and public enlightenment to eliminate illegal dumpsites and strengthen compliance with environmental regulations.
According to him, the intervention also provided an opportunity to engage residents, community leaders, traders, and other stakeholders on practical measures to prevent the recurrence of black spots through improved environmental monitoring, greater compliance with approved waste collection arrangements and stronger community ownership of environmental sanitation.
Gbadegesin urged residents and businesses to support the Authority’s ongoing efforts by patronising assigned PSP operators, properly bagging, and storing their waste, refraining from indiscriminate waste disposal and reporting environmental infractions through established LAWMA channels.
The LAWMA Chief Executive reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to sustaining Operation Deep Clean and other strategic interventions across Lagos.
The campaign, he stated, will continue to integrate waste evacuation, environmental enforcement, flood mitigation and community engagement in line with the Lagos State Government’s vision of building a cleaner, healthier and more resilient megacity.
Authority appeals for calm over fire incident
In a related development, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has appealed to Lagos residents to remain calm, following the fire incident at the closed Solous III site.
The government assured Lagosians that the relevant emergency response agencies are working to bring the situation under control.
LAWMA noted it was working closely with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and other relevant emergency and security agencies to contain the fire, safeguard lives and property, and minimise any environmental impact.
It equally said the preliminary information had been received regarding the incident.
The Authority, however, said emphasised that investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the fire.
It will be premature to speculate on the cause of the incident until all relevant facts had been established and verified, stated LAWMA.
LAWMA, therefore, reiterated its commitment to transparency and assured residents that further updates would be provided through its official communication channels as more verified information became available.