Effluent Discharge Surrounds Community

Industrial pollution emission from manufacturing companies most especially tanneries in Sharada Industrial Estate of the Kano Municipal Council (KMC)local government area in continues to pose threat to lives of residence of this area. After many public outcries by residents of Sabuwar Gandu, Tukuntawa and other communities in both Kumbotso and KMC local government areas, the offensive  waste still encircled these communities.

It is in furtherance of their course that these communities stage a peaceful protest to Freedom House, the offices of Freedom Radio where they believed their outcries can be carried further and get attention from authorities concerned .  They described the effluent as full of harmful odors and hazardous to their health and environment.

"They described the effluent as full of harmful odors and hazardous to their health and environment."

Following the peaceful protest, Freedom Radio Investigates further:

Following the path of the industrial discharge, it was noted that about three separate streams converge into the flow that crosses and encircles these communities, and one of the streams' source was identified originating from Unique Leather Company.

Unique Leather Company
Investigations in an attempt to reach the roots of the effluent discharge particularly the one from Unique leather led us to the company where a member of the management team  conducted us around its effluent treatment plants. There was a Biological treatment plant for the treatment of solid wastes before discharging to the channel which the company uses to raise the quality of the water before discharge.

Further probing on the odor, the Senior Effluent Officer, Zakari Nuhu Lambo, revealed that odor treatment plant was installed last year due to public outcry. "We use activated bacteria so that it will reduce the odor as we receive too much complain from the community. We do this to reduce the sludge which will help us have a qualitative discharge from our plant."

Zakari further pointed out that the discharge from their company is treated but that it mixes with others from similar companies and that of the community and that the flow of the discharge stagnates along the route and that the stagnation of the water brings back the odour that the communities are complaining about.

B&B Leather Company
Efforts to meet the management of B&B Leather Company Industries, yet another one of the companies responsible for discharging effluent wastes proved abortive. We are told at the gate non of the management is available.

All being said and done, there is no sufficient concern from the authority charged with environmental control and their efforts are not yielding any positive impact on this regard

For how long this situation will continued?

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Flooding & The Community

Flood is among the most devastating natural disasters in the world, claiming many lives and causing more property damage than any other natural disaster in Nigeria. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency forecast heavy rains will be recorded this year, and the possibility of flooding is very high.

Kano State, located in the North-West of Nigeria has more than 40 dams, and among these dams are the two largest Dams in the country, namely Tiga Dam and Challawa Gorge Dam. All these dams currently filled to the brim  as a result of this prevailing heavy rainfalls. This is a real threat to the communities living in these areas.

In the course of my findings,  some communities living close to these dams,  particularly in Rimin Gado local government, are entertaining fears of a repeat of last years terrible experience of the people of Gabasawa local government area where most of them were rendered homeless and their farms washed away by floods.

In a brief interview with one Malam Ali Audu, a resident of Rimin Gado, said  last years persistent floods forced them to relocate to another area out of their meager income and without any governmental assistance. Speaking to the local governments Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Hadi Aliyu, he re iterated that his administration is making necessary arrangement to prevent any unforeseen circumstances that may lead to loss of lives and property.

In another area however, not far from Rimin Gado,  the unfortunate situation of flooding is already showing its ugly head as the Guzu-Guru Dam located in Kabo local government is already overflowing and causing damage to huge farmlands. I saw some of the  farmers whose farmlands were washed away attempting to salvage what the remains of their farms. A farmer by name, Mallam Abdullahi, working on his flooded farm said such disaster is regular during heavy the rainfall season and called upon the authorities concern to come to their aid.

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