The Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) has announced plans to establish a N180 million faecal sludge treatment plant to enhance environmental sustainability.

The agency’s director, Mahmud Bose, said this in an interview on Wednesday in Bauchi.

He said the project’s groundbreaking would take place on Thursday, in Bauchi metropolis.
Bose said the plant would be established in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to improve faecal matter treatment and convert it into biogas and organic fertilisers.

Mr Bose said the products would be used by farmers and would also provide a source of employment to 500 youths. He said the contractor, Tall Wall Integrated Service Limited, was expected to deliver the project within 16 weeks.

On sanitary inspection, Bose said the agency has adopted a community service punishment mechanism to enforce compliance with good sanitation standards. Mr Bose said the agency conducted routine sanitary inspections to enforce compliance with environmental standards among residents of the state.

Mr Bose added that the sanitary inspection exercise was aimed at ensuring a clean environment and drains, to destroy breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents, as well as prevent disease outbreaks.
He said routine sanitary inspectors also serve as environmental health officers deployed across the state’s 20 council areas.

According to Mr Bose, punishment for defaulters is being measured by the gravity of the offence committed.

He said the court adopted non-custodial sentencing and ordered defaulters to carry out community service for one hour each day for 30 to 40 days.

Mr Bose said sanitary inspection exercises focused more on densely populated areas with poor sanitation management due to a shortage of personnel.
He assured that the agency would expand the scope of its services after recruiting additional personnel.

(NAN)