Write a letter to the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency in your country complaining about the environmental pollution of your area and requesting that urgent action be taken to improve the situation.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION OF LAGOS AREA

I write this letter with a deep sense of duty and responsibility to bring to the notice of the authority the environmental pollution in most parts of Lagos State. The environmental hazard is in no small measure bringing health problems to the vast majority of the populace in the state. Yet, the state has the highest population in the country.

The first of this problem is the heavy industrial smoke that pervades the atmosphere in Lagos area. This is consequent upon the localization of industries in many parts of Lagos metropolis. Industrial smoke brings ill-health to the populace as well as accidents on our roads. The heavy industrial smoke is detrimental to the lives of people as it contains toxic components which bring about lung c****r according to medical research. Over ten thousand Lagosians are treated for this disease weekly. The thick smoke poses visibility headache to motorists as it leads to compound motor accidents regularly on Lagos roads. A good number of road users have died premature death due to industrial smoke.

Another source of environmental problem in the state is the poor handling of refused an d wastes. As a result of population explosion in Lagos area, the refuse and waste is much but the disposal is badly managed. Lagos streets during rainy season are better called refused dump sites. This is because everywhere is littered with refuse and waste materials. This in no small way acts as agent of spreading diseases during rainy season. Unfriendly odour fills everywhere in the city and it leads to outbreak of diseases once in a while. A similar occurrence was an outbreak of cholera epidemic in 1998. It was so much widely reported in the international media that FIFA had to withdraw the soccer hosting rights earlier granted Nigeria, it was a calamity and ;national disgrace.

This is not all. During dry season, due to poor management of waste, heaps of refuse are set ablaze by residents as a means of disposal. The smoke emanating from such exercise is yet another source of environmental pollution. It poses threat to life as it caused lung-related problems which are costly to treat medically. It equally affects the sight of people particularly, the motorists and pedestrians. Many road accidents are reported yearly due to this havoc.

To overcome this environmental nuisance, all industrial establishments in the area should be made to treat their industrial wastes with the aim of reducing the toxic nature of such wastes. Also, the state Waste Disposal Board should be decentralized and private companies employed by the state to clear the city of refuse. Finally, only noiseless planes should be allowed to fly, instead of the current ones that are too noisy. There should be acts of parliament by both the National Assembly and Lagos State House of Assembly so as to bring environmental pollution to the barest minimum. Finally, the state should compel individuals and corporate bodies to clear their refuse through agents appointed by the state.

In conclusion, there is no doubt in my mind that the issue of environmental pollution in Lagos area will be a forgotten issue if my suggestions are well looked into and systematically implemented. I thank you very much for your co-operation.