The Oyo State government has raised alarm and warned residents of Ijaye, Ido, Olowo-Igbo, Iseyin and Ibarapa against drinking water from contaminated streams in their communities.
Abiodun Oni, commissioner for environment and natural resources, issued the warning on Wednesday in Ibadan. He claimed that a truck carrying chemicals dumped its load into a drainage system, which was then flushed into the streams that run through the five communities.
According to Oni, the truck was transporting materials thought to be chemicals for creating soap when it was involved in a collision on the Iroko-Oyo expressway.
The chemicals said to be used for soap making got leaked into the drainage which eventually contaminated the streams that flow through the five settlements, lowering the water’s quality and making it dangerous to both humans and the ecosystem as a whole.
The Statement further revealed that farmers who planted their cash crops within the affected areas as well as fishermen should suspend every activity within the vicinity until the waters have been tested and considered safe for consumption.
The statement further added that the government is on top of the situation as the Ministry has dispatched some of their staff to the affected areas to continue to monitor the situation while also conducting a water sampling until the water can be ascertained safe for consumption.
“The State government will continue to ensure that the ecosystem is protected in the state” he added
Consequently, the statement charged citizens to also take responsibility by properly handling and disposing of chemical substances and other biodegradable items and ensuring that they do not end up in the streams.
“Furthermore, they should jettison the bad culture of dumping wastes into drainages as they eventually find their ways into streams and rivers and eventually make up their way in the food chain process as such posing threats to all humans”, the statement concluded.