THE EFFECTS OF HABITUAL
ACTIVITIES ON SURFACE WATER BODIES-EDITORIAL
It is a surprise that some people of Otta, who live
near the ILO River, know that they are dying but there is little or nothing
they can do about it. The abattoir at the ILO River near the toll gate area at Otta
is in a state of chaos as every activity done there is dangerous to human
health. This ranges from recreational activities such as swimming, to drinking,
washing and killing of cows and sharing them for sale.
However, the degradation level of this river is rather
alarming. The water has lost its value and health benefits and has turned from
a blessing to a burden to the people who make use of it- both the abattoir
workers and the residents around it.
The location of the abattoir is an issue on its own. For
convenience, most abattoirs in this country are located near streams and
rivers, where the workers can get easy access to water. The problem with this
is that, the workers do not have the patience or time to wash the meat form the
cow, clean as it ought to be and diseases can be transferred easily through
this means, especially when the meat is not washed and cooked well by the final
consumer.
It is quite
obvious that the location is a wise decision but the point is that this is mere
selfishness as they throw the burnt debris and blood into the water bodies. As
a result of this, the water gradually begins to become contaminated. It is important
to note that it’s not only the waterways with this pollution affects but it
also affects human health because the blood of the animals might be infected
one way or the other and a number of people drink from this water without
knowing this, also the smoke from the burnt debris creates air pollution which
is also hazardous. Some other people get diseases from this river from going to
swim or they use it to take their bath, wash their clothes and perform other
domestic activities and this is because there is little or no choice for them.
Diseases that could arise as a result of this
pollution are known as Zoonotic diseases and they include: basilosis,
samonelosis, boselosis or other simple and common diseases include tapeworm-
which can be transferred directly from animals, severe or acute diarrhea-
uncontrolled vomiting and defecation (stooling) at the same time.
The government needs to get involved in this health
issues. They should help shift the location of the abattoirs. They should
construct special facilities for the killing of cows and these facilities must
have adequate water supply and effective waste management scheme. Researchers
should also be employed to carry on researches about this water bodies and new
development should be announced to the community, the country and the world in
general. The government should make sure of the availability of free or cheap and
efficient drugs to the affected victims of the water-borne disease especially
those at the grass root level. Awareness should also be created both verbally and
in the media about this diseases and ways of contacting them, to both the
residents and the non residents. The government can also find alternative
sources of water for the residents of Otta who live and this ILO River. This
will decrease the mortality rate in that area. The media can be used to
generate awareness on how raw materials like blood can be repackaged to
generate gas that can be used for cooking, to power a generator and also used
for fish and pig food.
In all this, we hope that the government will take
note of this issue, we hope that the government would listen to our
recommendations for a better tomorrow for all Nigerians and we also hope the
residents of Otta who benefit from the ILO river, would try their possible best
to safe guard their health.
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