A construction expert, Mr Temitope Runsewe, has called on the Lagos State Government to declare a state of emergency on boreholes drilling and sand filling to save the environment.
Runsewe, the Managing Director, Dutum Construction Company Ltd., made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.
The managing director who spoke on the sideline of a two-day real estate conference said that declaring state of emergency would avert epidemic.
The Unite Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Community is a network of climate tech, sustainability and ESG leaders from real estate sector in Africa with a common goal to achieve sustainable and equitable future.
Runsewe, a co-sponsor of the 10th Unite Leading ESG real estate event in Africa, noted that government’s urgent intervention was important to address the issues in the industry.
He said that the action was needed to check illegal sand filling, compounding, flooding and wrongly located boreholes causing septic and sewage waters to sip back into boreholes to endanger citizens health.
Runsewe noted that green construction was the antidote needed for resolving all environmental issues and should be encouraged and popularised in Lagos and across Nigeria.
He said that lack of sustainability in construction was responsible for all the infractions that affecting green construction, hence the need for government’s strict regulation and private sector support.
“There is no way we can ignore the need for us to begin to pay attention and this is about regulation; government needs to take drastic steps as it relates to water.
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“Very important, people sinking boreholes, septic tanks, all these things need to be regulated from the health point of view and the environmental point of view and it is urgent especially in a place like Lagos.
“The Ministry of Environment and the ministry responsible for regional planning, need to take immediate action.
”Again, a state of emergency needs to be evoked through the area of environment as it relates to these issues,” he said.
Runsewe noted that sandfilling without proper environmental impact assessment was compounding flooding in Lagos State.
He said that developers at the conference were working on how to effectively collaborate with the state government on sustainability in construction.
Runsewe added that green construction usually targeted low energy, water and other construction inputs consumption thereby, mitigating impacts of climate change.
(NAN)
