By Amaka Isikala
The Anambra State Government has intensified its campaign against environmental violations, with the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, ordering the immediate closure and sealing of an illegal dumpsite at Amaenye Ene, Abagana, following an inspection of a rapidly expanding gully erosion site in Njikoka Local Government Area(LGA) on July 20.
The directive followed an on the spot assessment conducted by Dr. Aguiyi alongside the Managing Director of the Anambra State Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Agency (ANSWECCA), Engr. Ifeanyi Nwasinoke, and the Head of the Ecology Department in the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Ijeoma Onyekwelu.
During the inspection, the team observed a massive gully, estimated to be over 10 metres deep, which had severely damaged drainage infrastructure and posed an increasing threat to nearby homes, roads and other public assets.
Describing the situation as alarming, Dr. Aguiyi said that although the area’s fragile terrain contributed to the erosion, indiscriminate human activities had significantly accelerated its spread, condemning the operation of the illegal dumpsite, noting that improper waste disposal had obstructed drainage channels, destabilised the landscape, worsened erosion and created serious environmental and public health risks.
Reaffirming the State Government’s zero tolerance stance on environmental abuse, the commissioner ordered the immediate closure of the dumpsite and directed its operator to appear before the Ministry to explain the establishment of the facility in violation of the state’s environmental and waste management laws.
Dr. Aguiyi stressed that the government had provided designated waste disposal facilities across the state to promote proper waste management and environmental protection, questioning the rationale for operating an illegal dumpsite that had encroached on a major road corridor, degraded the environment and compounded an already critical erosion challenge.
He urged residents to report erosion at its early stages, protect drainage channels and natural waterways from encroachment and refrain from indiscriminate waste disposal. According to him, protecting the environment is a collective responsibility, warning that negligence often transforms preventable problems into costly ecological disasters.
The commissioner reaffirmed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s commitment to environmental sustainability through the Environment and Urban Regeneration pillar of the Solution Agenda, assuring that the administration would continue to strengthen erosion control measures, enforce environmental laws and promote responsible environmental practices across Anambra State.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the Vice President General, Comrade Atu Okechukwu, acknowledged that inadequate drainage infrastructure and human activities had contributed to the worsening erosion, commending the commissioner’s prompt intervention, appealing for sustained government support to safeguard lives, property and critical infrastructure from further destruction.
Amaka Isikala is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
