By FAITH OYIBOTIE

Have you ever wondered why residents in Victoria Island and Ikoyi are hardly ever affected by communicable diseases like cholera, malaria and typhoid fever? Don’t wonder for too long. The contrast in waste management between slums and so called highbrow areas leaves little to the imagination.

Passersby a  canal at Odoni Street, Sabo, in Ajangbadi, a suburb in Lagos, are usually compelled to cover up their noses because of the stench from waste dumped into the canal.

Residents in Odoni claim that a dead baby was once found floating in the  canal, covered with refuse. Children openly defecate by the side of the canal as young boys and women empty their trash bins and faeces wrapped nylon bags inside the canal, disregarding the fact the canal is already laden with refuse and over grown grasses.

This scenario is common in many areas in Lagos especially in the slums. Areas such as Ajegunle, Mushin, Ojo and Mile 2 are just a few of many areas in Lagos where canals are  polluted. Little wonder, these areas are mostly hit by malaria, cholera and other diseases that thrive in dirt.

It will be recalled that cholera outbreak was reported in Mile 2 Estate, Lagos in September , claiming the lives of four  people. As precaution, Lagosians were advised to avoid ‘abasha’, a suspected source of cholera) and observe proper hygiene.

To date, residents in Mile2, Ajegunle and some other areas in Lagos state are yet to take the advice to heart as trash and waste products could be seen littering the streets, children still empty their bowels by the roadside, while men and women urinate to the full glare of motorists and commuters. In some streets, one has to be careful not to step on human waste or stumble on heaps of refuse lingering around.

Apart from cholera, typhoid and malaria are two diseases mostly attended to in hospitals located in slums and dirty environments. Out of every 100 cases of diseases being treated in these hospitals, typhoid and malaria accounts for 90 percent of such cases! Apparently, Lagos state government and indeed concerned health bodies still has more awareness campaigns to do on the issue of refuse dumping.

From all indications, the State government needs to take waste disposal more seriously. The Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA has its work cut out. Heaps of refuse can be properly collected, processed and converted into electricity which is one thing Lagosians are in dire need of.

As recounted by the Managing Director, LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya: ‘’Energy is in demand, waste is a headache. If Lagos is able to convert its headache to feed that demand, then, it becomes a smart city’’