Gas flaring sacks Kwale, Umutu residents in Delta, 161 feared killed in 1 year

By Nosa Eresoyen, Asaba

Persistence gas flaring in Kwale and Umutu communities in Delta State, has sacked its residents and 161 persons reportedly feared killed in the last one year of its emitting chemical monoxide, a process described by experts as pandemic.

Only last week, a group of NGOs, one of such, environmental process, led by its Research Manager, Mrs. Edith Nwande protested the continued gas flaring in Kwale, Umutu and its environs in the state and called on the state and federal governments to take proactive measures with a view to bringing to an end.

In their protest match, the group armed with placards read: “Enough of the gas flaring, our people are being killed almost every day. Government must do something about the gas flaring menace” and threatened a court action against the operators.

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While there are palpable tension in Kwale and its environs, some residents said they woke up last week in the morning and found their noses bleeding and they eyes getting worse red, adding that two of their children have allegedly died in the outcome of the consistent gas flaring.

One of them, Mrs. Eunice Odibei said: “We are seriously faced with health hazard and we are forced to relocate to neighbouring community, it is worse for us, we want governments’ intervention before the gas flaring wipe us out”.

Investigation revealed that the carbon-monoxide the gas flaring emits, has worsened crops in various farm lands in the affected communities and apart from dried them up, the crops have turned yellow colour, leaving thousands of residents in hunger.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. John Nani who spoke to our correspondent said: “We deeply faced with perilous times of gas flaring and it is only federal government that sought out the problem, it is killing, not only in Kwale in all the Niger – Delta communities, we are yet to find solution to the problem, however, we doing our best
to minimize the situation”.