By ibrahima yakubu
In anticipation of the upcoming International World Wildlife Day on March 3rd, a coalition comprising environmental NGOs, climatologists, youth organizations, and community volunteers has initiated a major cleanup operation along the Kaduna River.
The collective goal is to protect the lives of aquatic creatures and other organisms thriving in and around the riverbanks.
Named “Operation Cleaning-up Kaduna’s River to Save Aquatics from Plastic and Garbage Trash,” the campaign is spearheaded by three volunteer groups: Kaduna-Metro Environmental Creation Awareness, African Climate Reporters, and Kurmin Kaduna Youth Action Awareness Forum. This concerted effort has been an ongoing annual commitment for the past seven years.
Comrade Mohammed Zakari, Assistant Director of African Climate Reporters and the leader of the cleanup along Kaduna Riverbanks, emphasized the urgency of the initiative. He highlighted the threats posed by hazardous waste, particularly plastic, chemicals, and other pollutants, which negatively impact aquatic life and, consequently, human well-being.
According to him they have started mobilising volunteers to joined them towards enbacking on River bank-clean up to save lives of Aquatic mamals and other living organism along the river banks.
Adding that researched has shown Globally,Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications. At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
Zakari stated, “Our primary goal is to shield water animals from the adverse effects of hazardous waste dumped into the gutter, posing a severe threat to both aquatic animals and human beings. Water pollution is escalating in Africa due to a lack of public awareness regarding the dangers of improper waste disposal into oceans, rivers, ponds, and lakes.”
Equipped with rakes, baskets, shovels, and various tools, the team successfully evacuates over 500,000 plastic and hazardous waste items from the river annually. This marks the seventh consecutive year of their comprehensive cleanup activities, covering riverbanks and ponds to safeguard aquatic life and prevent waterborne diseases in humans.
Comrade Zakari stressed the importance of recycling to preserve aquatic life and urged the public to reduce plastic usage, opt for recyclable alternatives, and use environmentally-friendly detergents to combat chemical pollution.
The director of African Climate Reporters highlighted that the day’s activities aim to raise awareness about the consequences of improper waste disposal and its impact on water animals and human health. He urged the public to adopt sustainable practices and discouraged the dumping of trash into rivers and oceans.
During an interview with journalists at Kaduna’s Riverbanks, Comrade Jibrin Suleman, the Chief Executive Director of Kaduna Metro-Environmental Awareness, underscored the alarming rate at which plastic is dumped into oceans, posing a threat to aquatic and human life. He emphasized the need to address waterborne diseases through public education on the dangers of improper waste disposal.
Mallam Dauda Ismail, the chairman of the Youth Action and Awareness Forum Kurmin Kaduna, expressed solidarity with the cleanup initiative. He noted the annual death of aquatic animals due to dangerous chemicals from the community during the first rainfall.
The environmentalist and climate experts called on NGOs, CSOs, government bodies, and youth organizations to join forces in raising awareness and combating the dumping of trash into Kaduna River by communities. They also appealed for support from the Kaduna State Water Board, UNICEF, WHO, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Environment in this critical environmental conservation effort.
