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V anguard, TUESDAY. MARCH 22. 2011
ENVIRONMENT WATCH
Fashola tasks children on climate change llYKINGSLEYADEGBOYE
gos State Government Last week marked the 3'niversary of Climate Change Clubs in state schools ill its efforts to educate school c hildren on issues of climate cb ange and groom them to he come environmental , mbassadors who will spread the message of mitigation and edaptive measures of curbing fhe menace of global warming 10 the larger society. Climate Change Club was Inaugurated on March 3"', 2008 ":ith the aim of reaching out to students of state primary and secondary schools as agents of positive change. In his keynote address, Governor Babatunde Fashola represente d by the State Com missioner for Environment, said the degradation of the environment must be stopped, and to do that, all available and possible avenues must be accessed and used. He added that as children, they are crucial to change process if such changes must be sustained, pointing out that what was being done was not new, but only trying to restore a lost value. According to the governor, 'as child ren, I remember that we were taught to care for the environment. It was a competitive and healthy rivalry between classes, hostels and schools. Regrettably, the beauty 01 our environment vanished as a result of neglect of urban planning in the process 01 city expansion and development that was uncontrollably struggling to meet the needs 01 growing popuJation. "Dear children, your presence is the substance 01 posterity and
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Lagos State Commissioner lor Environment Muiz Banire give prizes to winner 01 school climate cbange competition .
tbe hope 01 continuity of mankind. One thing particularly gladdens my beart today. I am elated beyond doubts. I am happy because we are successfully building a generation that wiU not repeat the mistakes that we made. there is no doubting the capability 01 children in effecting the desired change in Ibe society. Whoever stiU thinks otherwise belongs to the distant past. You
are very influential change agen~ in the society", Fashola stated. In his welcome address earliet State
Commissioner
for
Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. (Mrs.) TIti Anibaba. noted that the children are carrying out activities 01 the clubs in their schools diligently and
conscientiously, adding however, that Ibere is still room to do more. The Commissioner added Ibat the anniversary will enable Ibe government access its feats so far and explore better strategies, stating that Ibe reality of climate change and Ibe unpredictability of its consequences necessitate the need to be constantly watchfuJ and unrelenting. ''There is no doubt about Ibe
• Lagos t argets 733 million of water per day by 2011 that are yet to be officially commissioned. He added that he Lagos Water the 15 mini waterworks are Corporation (LWC), has located in Ajangbadi, lkorodu, unvei!editsplan to meet the 733 "Epe Agric", Meiran , million gallons per day (GPD) Abule_Egba, Ikate, Mosan water needs lor Ibe projected 29 Okunola, Isheri Oshun and million population in Lagos iB---AjegunJe. 2020. ''The 15 mini water works that UnIolding the C orporation's were designed- to have five (5) plans and strategy at the press kilometer reticulation (water brieling heralding the World mains expansion) that can only Water Day celehration at the serve 500 houses are now to he Ijora Corporation's expanded to cover all the houses headquarters last week. the LWC in all the locations where the Group Managing Director, Engr. plants are cited. It is this water Shayo Holloway said the plan to mains expansion Ibat Ibe formed meet the water needs of the the thrust 01 201 I capital budget emerging mega_city has fully of the corporation", he said. started. The Ibeme of this year Explaining the rational for the Water Day celebration is "Water adopted phases for water For Cities Responding to Urban provision in Lagos, Holloway ¡-~'Challenges" . said the decision is in line with The Iirst phase of the plan Ibe theme of 2011 Water Day, according to Engr. Holloway, is adopted by the International the completion 01 IS additional community, stressing that the BY KINGSLEY ADEGBOYE
T
min_water works, with only five
.1
scope of expansion is being
influenced by size in population at any given time. He noted for example that Ibe current water need in Lagos today is 500million gallons per day, whereas the Corporation is to provide above 200 million gallons per day thus wilb almost 45 percent deficit. He however said Ibis deficit is already being addressed with the construction 01 Ibe additional water works, the provision of independent power project that was completed late last year. 'The most ambitious plans to meet both the immediate and future
needs
are
the
commencement of the Adiyan Water Works Phase 2 that has been approved by the Lagos Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola. The second phase, when completed would double Ibe existing 70 million that the plant is currently producing, Ibus bringing Ibe water work to
140 million gallons per day. "Besides, there is also network expansion in Lagos Island, lkoyi and Oshodi. The seeming shortage 01 water supply in Lagos Island was as a result 01 collapse of transmission trunk under Carter Bridge in 2005. "But as a remedial measure then, what we did was the laying of two 600 mm pipes to serve the aflected area. But as a final measure, the corporation bas embarked on the laying of 1200 mm pipe Ibat can ellectively serve the affected consumers in Lagos Island", he stated. The LWC GMD furlber noted that the award of engineering design 01 Odomola Water Scheme that h as also received the approval 01 the Governor is Ibe uJtimate goal, pointing out that the scheme, when completed will provide 2 10
fact Ibat our children in public schools in Ibe state have been very cooperative in the awareness campaign. The exploits recorded in Ibe last three years through what they have been able to exhibit in a docudrama entiUed 'If Only' in quiz, poetry, debate competitions and expository
lectures delivered by members 01 Ibe club are fine testimonies", Banire noted.
million gallons per day and would be dedicated to serve Ikoyi, Lekki corridor, Epe and lbeju ms, including Ibe Export Process Zone (EPZ), all along Ibe Epe_ Maroko Expressway. "In essence, when Ibis project is completed, Adiyan wouJd be divested from serving several areas , but would solely concentrated in serving only one senatorial distnct. While Odomola scheme \would be serving mostly La~os East Senatorial District Adiyan wouJd be serving Ibe w st, while Ibe conglomeration of majority of the existing water works would be serving Ibe central", Holloway said. Engr. Holloway therefore urged consumers to tap into its mains instead of patronizing water vendors, adding Ibat Ibe Corporation has realized that there are some areas Ibat are yet to he connected. He noted that but by the end 012011, "when we must have luIIy completed Ibe water mains expansion project, most 01 the areas that are yet to be connected would have the opportunity to be connected".
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