Yuletide celebrations: LAWMA to tackle waste surge

…Vows to ensure clean Lagos during festivities

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has restated its readiness to ensure a clean and sustainable environment in the state during the Christmas and New Year festivities, despite anticipating a 100% increase in waste generation.

The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, in a statement, assured that the Authority would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Lagosians marked this year’s Christmas in a dirt-free and conducive environment.

He said, “We are anticipating a 100% increase in waste generation during the Christmas and New Year festivities. But we are determined to leave no stone unturned in maintaining a clean and healthy environment for Lagosians to enjoy the holidays with their families and loved ones”.

Dr. Gbadegesin further outlined LAWMA’s sanitation approach for the yuletide, which included intensified street and highway sanitation, effective operations by PSP operators backed by LAWMA’s own fleet, and publication of phone numbers for residents to report waste management issues during the celebration.

“To handle the expected waste surge, LAWMA has ramped up efforts on street and highway sanitation across the state. PSP operators, responsible for waste collection in specific areas, have been mandated to deliver efficient services, with LAWMA providing additional backup trucks where needed. We have also released dedicated lines on our social media handles (@lawma_gov on Twitter and Instagram, as well as @lawma.gov on Facebook), for residents to report any infractions”, he said.

The LAWMA boss also noted that the agency would distribute trash bags during the celebrations, to enable residents bag and containerise their waste, for seamless evacuation by assigned PSP operators.

He appealed to motorists to drive with caution to safeguard the lives of sanitation workers (street sweepers) and other service providers, diligently working to keep the city clean.

While wishing Lagosians merry Christmas and New Year celebrations, he admonished them to shun all acts of indiscriminate waste disposal, capable of defacing the environment and endangering the lives of residents.