Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Dr Daniel Ezeanwu, an Environmentalist, has called Anambra State Government to nip the causes of excessive hot temperature in the state to avoid imminent health dangers.
Ezeanwu, who is a retired permanent secretary from the Ministry of Environment, Awka, Anambra State, made the call during an interview with Newsmen.
He listed dangers of increasing temperature to include, meningitis, exhaustion, dehydration of body cells, eye problems, cancer of the skin and mental cacophony.
He said that the South-East cities are also getting hotter than northern cities and urged the governments of South-East states to verify his claim through the use of Google check.
He urged the governors to, as a matter of urgency, confirm what the temperature currently reads for example: Awka, Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi and Maiduguri in comparison for days past.
Ezeanwu said that the excessive hot temperature in Anambra cities like Awka, Amansea /Okpuno and environs are due to reckless cutting down of trees and bush burning and maintained that these areas are hotter than kano, Bauchi, Maiduguri.
He attributed the cause of increasing temperature in the South-East to climate change, which may arise as a result of cutting down of umpteen number of trees in the process of building houses, road construction, and crop farming.
Ezeanwu said that other factors include reckless burning of bushes and forests, destruction of natural watersheds, abuse of forest reserves: illegal wood logging and partial/complete change of purpose of forest reserves.
He said that increasing vehicular and generator sets emissions, incessant burning of solid wastes (particularly at dump sites), burning of umpteen motor tyres for removing the furs of cows and goats (particularly at Abattoirs) are very concerning.
He also said that there was hope to reclaim the environment from excessive hotness if governments of the zone immediately put in place enforceable Legal Framework and matching policy framework towards its reduction.
They measures according to him include: “Recommending and/or enforcing a minimum number of trees that must be in a compound (depending on the size of the compound).
“Recommending and/or enforcing planting of trees in every 40 feet on both sides of all roads in the States.
“Fruitful collaboration among South-East States in crafting and implementing necessary interventions,” he said.
Ezeanwu stressed the need for all the relevant government agencies meant to regulate environmental activities to be more committed in their jobs specification.
