Delta State Government has moved heavy-duty equipment and personnel to major cities in the state to carry out massive cleanup as the yuletide approaches.
In Delta South and Delta Central Senatorial Districts of the state, heaps of refuse in some parts of Warri, Effurun and Agbarho were brought down and evacuated to a designated dumpsite.
A member of the Delta State Waste Management Board, Mr Mofe Edema, supervised the special cleanup exercise which was carried out for four days in two districts.
With the global devastating effects of the coronavirus otherwise known as COVID-19 which has now mutated to Omicron variant the need for a clean environment when taken for granted leaves much to be desired.
It is common to see these unapproved or unlicensed individuals mostly in Warri, Uvwie, Udu and their environs commonly with wheelbarrows collecting refuse for disposal from most residents who are not willing to patronise the registered Private Sector Participants, PSP, in refuse collection and disposal in the state.
The far-reaching implication of their activities is huge refuse heaps dotting parts of Warri and Effurun.
This particular refuse heap at the popular Warri Refinery flyover took several hours with payloaders, trunks and other heavy-duty equipment before it was brought down.
Mr Edema said the board apart from its daily statutory responsibility of clearing and evacuating refuse carries out special cleanup as part of ensuring healthy living among the people of the state.
The situation was the same at the spot by the Agbarho bridge in Ughelli North Local Government Area that has become a notorious spot for the dumping of refuse despite its closeness to the abattoir beside the bridge.
Several trips were made by drivers of trunks with loader refuse to the Agbarho dumpsite owned by the Delta State Waste Management before the heap of refuse was levelled.
Mr Edema urged residents of the state to cultivate the habit of keeping their surroundings clean and patronise registered PSP in order for their waste to be properly disposed of at the approved dumpsite.
The exercise also include the picking of dirties, clearing of weeds, sand and kerbs of maiden of roads like Deco, Okumagba Avenue, Cementary and other major parts of Warri and Effurun.
It is expected that residents will desist from all forms of indiscriminate disposal of waste such as throwing out dirties from vehicles or sweeping them into drainages so that together a cleaner Delta can be achieved.