The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has said it is ready to collaborate with other agencies to stop the burning of contraband goods.
The agency said it has bought an equipment on sustainable burning – the Air Curtain Burner, which controls the emission of air pollutants.
Speaking with reporters, its Director-General, Dr Ngeri Benebo said NESREA’s collaboration with other agencies in the destruction of contraband was yielding positive results, noting that the culture of burning would soon be over.
She said the agency’s sensitisation had made some achievements as the public would soon begin to appreciate the new method pf destroying prohibited goods.
NESREA said the agency was collaborating with the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigerian Customs Service and NAFDAC on adopt the sustainable burning mechanism.
She said the mechanism was introduced to safeguard the health of the people, noting that open burning is hazardous to health.
“It is in recognition of the adverse impact of open burning that the Federal Government enacted the National Environmental (Control of Bush, Forest fire and Open Burning) Regulations.
“It was, particularly, to stem the tide of the high incidence of pollution arising from induced human activities, including open burning.
“This effort is aimed at minimising the destruction of the environment through fire outbreak, burning of material that may affect the ecosystem’s health through the emission of hazardous air pollutants.
“We have observed overtime that the heavy human health and environmental cost arising from emissions and the resultant air pollution during disposal of contraband in open burning could no longer continue.
“The accumulation of these particulates in the human respiratory system often leads to persistent cough, sneezing, wheezing and general body discomfort.
“It also aggravates existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis,” she said.
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