Residents of Tudun Ilu a community located in the heart of Kaduna metropolis have been battling with various types of illness for years as a result of refuse heaps site located in the area.
The refuse dump site has taken over part of the railway line that passed through the area.
A butcher Madaki Mohammed, who resides in the area, said many people suffered from various kinds of ailment due to presence of the refuse.
He said, the refuse dump has been there for more than 50 years even though it was not an authorised dumping site.
“As you can see for yourself, a mosque, school and people’s houses are all close to the refuse site, in fact some houses share fence with it.
“We have complained to the authorities but nothing has been done. We are not happy about how the refuse is gradually taking over the whole area.
“We really need help because our houses and lives are being threatened by diseases all as a result of the refuse,” he said.
Another resident, Gambo Ali appealed to the state government to come to their aid.
He said because of the refuse dump trains could hardly pass through the area.
“In those days train from Kano passed through here but the train no longer uses this route now and we think is because of this refuse that has taken over the railway.”
A teacher at an Islamic school, which shares its fence with the refuse dump, who gave her name as Amina, said the dump site was posing serious health hazard to the children.
“We have small children and even pregnant women teaching in this school. The bad smell coming from the refuse is not good for their health and we are forced to always close our windows,’’ she said.
The Operations Manager of ZL Global Alliance , the agency incharge of refuse collection in the state, Abduljaleel Abdullateef told Arewa Trust that they were aware of the dump site at Tudun Ilu.
“We are very much aware of the refuse dump and is one of the refuse sites that we are making effort to evacuate.
“We have told people to stop dumping refuse there because there are other collection points around that they are suppose to use,’’ he said.
He said indiscriminate dumping of refuse had always been a challenge they were facing and that they were doing lot of sensitization on radio and television to disuade people from the habit.
“We in collaboration with Kaduna Environment Protection Authority will introduce mobile courts to try people who still dump indiscriminately,” he said.
