Residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have decried the heaps of refuse in the city, expressing fears that they could cause outbreak of diseases.

The residents, who expressed their fears to newsmen yesterday, said the refuse had piled up in the state capital, especially in Parliament/Akai axis, Ikot Ishie area, State Housing Estate, Marian Market and Chamley area of the city.

Mr. Umoh Edem, who resides in Akai Street, said the heaps of refuse along the street had become a source of concern to the people, adding “this is very disgusting and the authorities concerned should please evacuate them.”

Mrs Grace Umanah, a trader at Marian Market, said the stench from the refuse in the market had become worrisome, saying it could lead to outbreak of cholera or other diseases.

She said: “With the rain that has set in, the dump is becoming an eyesore. Government should, please, do something urgently to avoid possible epidemic.”

An environmentalist, Mr. Edward Ayuk, described the emergence of heaps of refuse in the city as dangerous to the health of the residents.

He said: “It is not healthy for the residents, especially now that the rainy season is beginning. Apart from polluting the environment, it breeds flies and other vectors that spread diseases.”

However, an official of Calabar Urban Development Agency, CUDA, Mr. Willam Henshaw, said that the agency was doing its best to evacuate the refuse.

Henshaw said CUDA was constrained by inadequate trucks to perform as expected.

“We do not have enough trucks for now, but we are working everyday and all the areas will be taken care of,” he added.