… Urges Residents to Stop Dumping Refuse in Drainages
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engineer Aramide Adeyoye, has disclosed that the State Government has commenced repair works on the Mile 2 section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway as part of efforts to promote sustainability of roads.
Engr. Adeyoye, who disclosed this while inspecting the ongoing palliative works being carried out by the Public Works Corporation on the road, reiterated the need for Lagosians to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages as doing so will cause blockage, which will result in flooding and, consequently, reduce the life span of the various infrastructure across the State.
She explained that, although the rehabilitation and expansion work on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is progressing as scheduled, it has become necessary to urgently intervene and make the Mile 2 section of the road motorable for all residents plying the route.
According to her, “In order to ensure a thorough job, the government had to evacuate the waste blocking the drains. However, based on the volume of the refuse removed from the drains along the Mile 2 section of the road, there is a need for attitudinal change among residents in the State”.
“A road is as good as its drains and dumping refuse inside drains does not only compromise the integrity of the asphaltic surface, it also undermines the durability of the roads, especially now that the rains are here; without a functional drainage system, the roads provided cannot be sustained”, she said.
Adeyoye, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Drainage, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, enjoined all residents to ensure that the cost and effort associated with providing, rehabilitating and maintaining roads is reduced to the barest minimum, stressing that the present administration is determined to ensure that when the rains are over, there would be no need to start grappling with bad roads.
“When drains are provided for roads they are not meant for solid waste disposal, rather they are pathways for water to run. When the drainages are choked and the cross culverts are blocked, the asphalt surface will become waterlogged, thereby accelerating the rate of dilapidation of the roads”, the Special Adviser asserted.
While soliciting for the support and cooperation of Lagosians on the need to take ownership of road infrastructure, Adeyoye urged all residents to keep faith with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration on the successful implementation of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.
