Residents of Idi-Araba community in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State have been battling with offensive odour and diseases due to a canal in the area that has been turned into a dumpsite. The development has already taking a toll on their health, SODIQ OJUROUNGBE reports
For residents of Idi-Araba community in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, clean air and healthy environment have become elusive.
Findings by PUNCH Healthwise showed that the densely populated community is plagued by malaria and typhoid, with almost everyone suffering from these killer diseases due to the polluted environment.
The open canal running through the neighbourhood has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and the stench of the canal, which has been turned into a dumpsite by some residents, daily pollutes the environment.
It was gathered that due to poor sanitation and lack of access to safe water that characterised the community for many years now, more than a handful residents of the area amidst poverty are daily confronted with one type of illness or the other with women and children badly affected.
The situation is made worse through the presence of rodents, who invade homes, shops and all corners of the area.
Some residents, who have fallen ill as a result of the development, told our correspondent that they can longer afford the cost of treatment.
The residents said the offensive smell not only takes a toll on their health but also on their livelihoods as they are not regular at their places of work due to ill health.
The World Health Organisation says typhoid fever is common in places with poor sanitation and a lack of safe drinking water.
Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene among food handlers and typhoid vaccination are all effective in preventing typhoid fever, according to WHO.
Our correspondent observed that the canal runs through the community and has become a dumping ground with plastic and garbage floating clogged to it.
As the pile of garbage swells by the day, the situation becomes more dire with residents worried that the conversion of the Idi Araba canal to an illegal dump site may lead to widespread occurrence of infectious diseases across the community.
The drainage in the area was clogged with tonnes of waste, while the drainage channels coming from different parts of Mushin and linked to the Idi-Araba canal were always filled with debris and plastic.
One resident, Ayodele Oluwafemi, told PUNCH Healthwise that most of them encounter malaria, typhoid and diarrhea due to the dirty and polluted environment.
Oluwafemi said, “A lot of people are falling sick in our community. Hardly will you see someone from a household that has not fallen sick in the last two weeks.
“This happens because of the kind of food we eat. We get our food around the canal and most of the time it is infected because of the flies and other things that might have touched the food.”
The filthy environment
Going round the community, PUNCH Healthwise observed that Idi-Araba reeks of government neglect and utter disregard for healthy environmental practices by the residents.
Some of the affected streets including Bamishile, Ayinla, Ogunsanwo, Garba Musa, Abati, Adekunle, and Babalola, are filthy and littered with heaps of garbage.
Houses are built close to the drains in utter disregard for town planning rules, while indiscriminate dumping of refuse seems to be an entrenched practice.
During the visit, it was discovered that the canal, which acts as a secondary drainage system to ferry floodwater, had turned into a mountain of solid silt, waste, and vegetation.
A towering garbage mountain looms around the area, spewing putrid fumes and attracting pests. This growing pile of refuse is not only an eyesore, but also a ticking time bomb of health hazards for the residents.
The drains were clogged with tonnes of waste; murky, smelly water had become a permanent feature there, and the canal was completely blocked.
Residents’ lamentation of health challenges
Some of the residents who spoke with PUNCH Healthwise expressed concern about the public health crisis brewing in the community.
They lamented that the unsanitary conditions of the community pose a risk of disease outbreaks..
More than twenty residents of the community confirmed to our correspondent that malaria and typhoid have become common in the community.
The chairman of the Community Development Association, Idi-Araba East Zone 1, Engr. Oluwafemi Ogunsote said there have been cases of malaria, typhoid, and cholera outbreaks in the community.
While noting that the CDA did not have an actual number of residents falling sick, Ogunsote insisted that 60 per cent of the waste at the canal came through drainages from other places around Mushin.
He said, “All this waste that you see at the canal, 60 percent of it came from as far as Palm Avenue. All the drainages are being channeled through here.
“This is a purely residential area, we reside here and do everything here. Almost everybody you see here is living in this community.
“We need to reorientate our people so that they know that health is wealth. We have different people; Igbos, Hausas, Fulanis, Ghanaians, and other countries living with us.”
Another resident, Isa Muhammad said the residents are exposed to different environmental hazards on a daily basis because of what they breathe in.
He noted, “I personally don’t know how many times I have written petitions because of the environmental hazard we are exposed to.
“If they do a medical check on everybody in this community, I can tell you that nobody is safe because of what we have been inhaling. There is also open defecation everywhere and this is a versatile community.
“We are facing environmental challenges because of the canal. If you look at the canal, I can say it is old fashioned .”
Muhammad urged the Lagos State government to come to rescue and save them from further ill health.
“We need the government to come to Idi-Araba, we need the government’s presence. There are certain things only the government can do, they are the ones that can enforce the law.
“We need the government to come wherever that needs to be clear, we would be supportive in making sure the canal is clear. There is a need for the government to sit down with the community and map out the best strategy in making the environment safe for us”, he said.
A nurse, who claimed to work at the primary health centre in the community, said the residents frequently complain of headaches and respiratory issues when they visit the hospital.
The nurse, who pleaded anonymity, said typhoid and malaria are the most commonly reported health conditions at the facility where she works.
She added that by educating the residents on personal hygiene, the health centre was able to lessen the prevalence of diseases in the community.
Selling food around the stinking canal
Despite the putrid stench emanating from the canal, some enterprising food sellers have set up shops right across from the blocked canal, selling their wares to hungry customers.
The food sellers were sighted operating in such unsanitary conditions, while the residents looked unbothered despite the strong smell coming from the canal.
The food sellers stomach the noxious smell while preparing food, as that is their only means of survival – they have no other choice but to make a living where they can.
Musa, a wizened man with calloused hands, stirs a bubbling pot of soup over an open flame. He takes a deep breath, ignoring the acrid smell that permeates the air.
‘It’s just a part of life here,’ he says with a shrug. ‘We’re used to it.’ But his resignation is tinged with a quiet sadness, as he contemplates the lack of options that have led him to this point.
Musa isn’t the only one who has come to accept the foul stench as a part of daily life. Many of the food sellers sighted along the canal have resigned to fate, while the residents keep consuming what they got from there.
Olufemi also told PUNCH Healthwise that the majority of the people living in the community still get food from the sellers beside the canal.
“This is the reality for us. We have no choice. Even though we know the food may not be safe, we have to eat something. And these sellers are the only ones who can provide food at a price we can afford. So, we take the risk”, he concluded.
Olufemi’s words paint a grim picture of the community’s predicament and highlight the difficult trade-offs that people are forced to make when basic needs like food are hard to come by at a price they can afford.
Risk of chronic diseases
As the residents continue to be exposed to the choking smell coming from the canal and eating food around the area, a study has found that people living within one kilometer of a dumpsite are at higher risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in 2014, discovered that the risk was highest for people living within 500 meters of a dumpsite, with a 2-3-fold increase in the incidence of chronic diseases compared to those living farther away.
The study also found that people living near dumpsites were more likely to have impaired lung function, suggesting that air pollution from the dumpsite was contributing to respiratory problems.
The study further discovered that exposure to the dumpsite was associated with higher levels of biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the blood, which are indicators of chronic disease.
WHO says over 3.5 million people die annually from water-related diseases.
The global health organization noted that 43 per cent die from diarrhoea, while 84 percent of deaths involve children between the ages of 0-14.
The WHO states that an alarming 98 per cent of water-related deaths occur in developing countries, like Nigeria.
A report by the WHO and United Nations Children’s Fund, revealed that 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies (about 1 in 8 people).
It states that only 62 per cent of the world’s population has access to improved sanitation, while over 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, and 1.2 billion people have no facilities at all.
Over 100,000 children under five years of age die annually in Nigeria due to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, UNICEF added.
“More than 100,000 children under five years of age die each year due to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, of which 90 per cent is directly attributed to unsafe water and sanitation.
“Access to clean drinking water is a human right — just like the right to food and the right to live without torture and racial discrimination.
“The Nigeria Government should invest three times more in the water sector, making sure that every Nigerian has access to clean water and a toilet as the lack of access to water is impacting the well-being, especially of the most vulnerable,” UNICEF states.
Flooding and stench
When the rains come, it’s chaos in Idi-Araba. The canal overflows with waterlogged trash, turning the streets into a foul-smelling, disease-breeding cesspool. The floodwater seeps into homes, bringing with it disease-causing bacteria and parasites.
The stench is unbearable, and the residents are forced to wade through the filth just to get to work or school.
As the floodwaters recede, the trash-strewn streets become a breeding ground for insects and vermin. The air is thick with the smell of rotting food and garbage.
Residents must dodge the rats and mosquitoes that swarm around the piles of trash. Children play in the streets, oblivious to the dangers lurking in the piles of filth.
The health risks are dire, with respiratory infections, skin diseases, and waterborne illnesses on the rise. It’s a desperate situation, and the residents feel abandoned by the government.
A resident, Abibat Baala said her family is always in panic whenever rain falls. She lamented that on several occasions, rain had sent her family out of their home.
She claims that those who live near the drainage that flows through the canal are more likely to experience flooding.
She added, “For more than four days, we were unable to sleep in our house, we just came back a few days ago after a thorough cleaning.
“Many of our properties were destroyed because of the flood that took over our home. It is a really unfortunate situation for us.
“We want the government to come and help find an everlasting solution to this issue. It is really becoming a big issue for us.”
The Baale of Idi-Araba Zone, Ismaila Akisemeyin, lamented that flooding is a serious challenge the community is facing due to the blocked canal.
He expressed concern that the condition of the canal has become disastrous, especially for their children who were at the receiving end.
Akisemeyin urged the government to fence the canal so as to prevent people from dumping refuse inside.
He added, “The stench and the condition of the canal are having a great negative impact on us, especially our children.
“Because of the flood, some of the residents have to abandon their homes because there is water virtually everywhere
“Government should help us fence the canal area and also provide security there so as to prevent people from dumping refuse in the canal.”
Operation of PSP
The Secretary to the palace of the Seriki of Idi-Araba, Hussein Abdulaih said the Public Private Enterprise in charge of packing waste from the blocked canal only comes once a week.
Abdulaih maintained that with the level of waste dumped inside the canal on a daily basis, the PSP are expected to come at least three times a week for the packing.
According to him, the government’s failure in desilting the canal also contributed to the flooding that used to engulf the community during heavy downpours.
He added, “All these things come back to haunt the community. Mushin is kind of sloppy and Idi-Araba bears the brunt. When people dump waste from Mushin, it comes down to Idi-Araba.
“I am not exonerating our people, they too are also guilty of dumping waste in the gutter when it is raining and at the end of the day it blocks the canal.
“We also have people that build kiosks on waterways, drainages. All these things are not helping matters.
“We have been doing sensitization to let the residents know about the danger of partaking in such bad habits.
“The government has been doing wonderfully well because years back, that canal was filled up and the pathway to the canal is also filled with water.
“However, the government is always coming every now and then to pack the canal. If not for that, Idi-Araba would have become something else.
“The issues of Private Public Enterprise known as PSP is our only concern. They only come here once a week and it is really not enough for them. They are supposed to be coming around at least three times a week to pack the canal.”
Community effort
Despite the dire circumstances, the people of Idi-Araba are not giving up. They have formed community groups to clean the gutter and educate their neighbors on the importance of waste disposal.
The CDA Chairman said the association is embarking on sensitizing the people of Idi-Araba on the danger of dumping refuse inside the canal and gutters in the area.
Ogunsote also revealed that residents in the community would engage in weekly environmental sanitation in clearing debris and waste within the environment.
He added, “The CDA is working in partnership with the Mushin LG chairman to ensure that people stop dumping refuse inside the canal. We are setting up a committee that would monitor activities around the canal so that people can stop dumping refuse there.
“As a community association, we also do everything possible to make sure that the people living in the area engage in cleaning their gutters, clearing their environment so that we don’t give room for mosquitoes to breed.”
Non-communicable diseases inevitable – experts
Experts have said exposure to waste could cause respiratory tract and lung infections with effects ranging from eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, cough, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath.
A public health physician at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr. Kunle Adetona said exposure to toxic chemicals and pollutants can cause serious health problems, like respiratory and skin issues, cancer, and birth defects.
The medical practitioner affirmed that the inadequate waste management has led to the breeding of disease-carrying pests which was responsible for the prevalence of Typhoid and malaria in the community.
He added, “Poor waste management can lead to groundwater contamination, which can cause serious health problems for those who rely on the water for drinking, cooking, and washing.
“The contamination of the local soil and environment can lead to long-term health and environmental impacts. Degraded air and water quality can harm both people and the environment.”
The President of Lagos Recyclers Association, Dr. Femi Idowu-Adegoke ,said indiscriminate dumping of refuse in canals can lead to communal diseases, such as typhoid, cholera, etc.
While noting that the stench is mainly from organic waste and open defecation, Idowu-Adegoke said inhaling the odour can cause health challenges, as well as global warming, which results in climate change.
The co-founder of Ecoviridis Environmental Technology stressed that the groundwater and soil could also become contaminated due to the polluted canal.
According to him, children around the area may suffer from bad air, lungs and breathing conditions, airborne and waterborne diseases will be predominant in such areas.
He added, “The people in the community have to take responsibility and, without taking responsibility to manage their waste, community, and environment in a sustainable way, then we will keep having this.
“We can not dump everything on the government. I know the government has a role to play, but as people, we must take our own destiny in our own hands.
Residential communities need to take charge of their own community and be responsible and stop dumping indiscriminately and in authorised places.
“Selling food there is dangerous. It can lead to water, food, and airborne diseases for every human and animal living nearby.
“There are communities where indiscriminate dumping is done. You will find that there are goats, and cows feeding on the dump, and then we wonder why we find microplastic in the bloodstream of humans and animals.
“The people in such a community who don’t look after their environment and engage in indiscriminate dumping will lead to flooding, communicable diseases, and malaria will be prevalent.
“There is a lot to be done and it must start with the people. People must learn to start taking responsibility as well. You cannot live in a community and allow people to come and dump indiscriminately in your canal, or on your streets and you do nothing.”
Residents responsible – Lagos govt.
The Lagos State government, however, blamed the residents for the current situation of the canal located within the community.
The Public Affairs Director of the Lagos Ministry of Environment, Kunle Adeshina told PUNCH Healthwise that the residents were responsible for the dumping of refuse in the canal.
Adesina noted that the canal in the Idi-Araba environs has been declared as a black spot, adding that the government has deployed all state resources in clearing the canal on a daily basis.
Regarding claims that the canal is only packed once a week, the Ministry of Environment spokesperson insisted that permanent trucks have been stationed at the canal for more than six months to remove debris from its surface.
He further said, “That is not true. I don’t know why people raise false alarms that the canal is filled as if it’s some angels that came from heaven to fill it.
“Sometimes, the state Ministry of the Environment, the office of drainage service, and water resources deploy vehicles and what they call “swam movers.” We even have trucks that go there to cart away dirt.
“Some will say, “Why can’t we enforce? Enforce what? When you arrest people, and they are handed sentences, the next thing you will hear is that; this government has no human feelings.
“It’s a habit, and they are very, very eager to point fingers at the government. The main problem is that people don’t want to pay for their waste. One thing you realise is that they point fingers at the government.
“There is a long line of canals, but that one at Idi-Araba has been problematic; after clearing it today, when you return two days later, it appears as though you have done nothing.
“The question you ask is: Are these not people living in Lagos? Why is it that you’ll see people doing this thing and you won’t talk to them, but you will be expecting the government to bring security?
“But people complain that they are having typhoid etc, It is their habits.”
On why the government cannot fence the canal, Adeshina explained, “We cannot fence our canals; it is counterproductive.
“Part of the reason we can’t fence them is that once canals are filled up, and our swam goes to drench it, it keeps it by the bank where the trucks will move it and convey those things that are removed.
“I spoke with our engineers now, and they say in the last six months, evacuating debris from canals through Mushin and Idi-araba has caused them six trips.
“We have stationed our trucks there for almost six months. We started with Idi-Arabae, and we moved from there. Presently, if you go to the Babalola area, you will see our trucks loading refuse taken from their canals, on a daily basis, they carry twenty to thirty trucks.
“Go back there in a week’s time. It will be as if nothing has been done there. So, it is about telling our people to change their ways. But they are ready to talk about the government. They are their own enemies.:
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority warned against the patronage of illegal waste collectors in the state.
The agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Folashade Kadiri noted that cart pushers contributed to the conversion of the Idi-Araba canal to an illegal dump site.
She added, “The refuse at the particular canal at Idi-Araba is a black spot created by the outlawed cart pushers and residents within the axis.
“The reason we always advocate that residents do not patronise cart pushers. They are outlawed in Lagos and do not have access to our dumpsites. They pick from house A and dump in house C.
“Residents who patronise them pay their money to bring nuisance to the environment, which affects all and not only them.
“LAWMA enforcement team has however abated this nuisance of cart pushers and would monitor this spot to prevent a recurrence. But do not forget, residents have a role to play in all of this. We appeal that they patronise only assigned PSP operators, and pay waste bills.”
