Tony Okafor, Awka
Anambra State Government has said it will plant no fewer than one million trees to promote aforestation and check environmental degradation ravaging the state.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odimegwu, disclosed this at the weekend, during a press conference to mark this year’s World Environment Day.
He said the State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo was expected to start off the campaign on Sunday.
While describing the theme for this year’s celebration “Only One Earth” as apt, he said under the policy each household would be expected to plant at least two trees every year.
He said, “Anambra State is facing serious environmental health degradation, and serious climate change challenges. This is the time to take up the collective and individual responsibility of protecting, restoring our only ‘one earth’ by avoiding actions leading to environmental pollution and degradation.
“I therefore call on the people to leverage the opportunity offered by the theme to raise their consciousness towards adopting safe environmental management practices and good sanitation that will promote the general wellbeing of all of us.”
The Commissioner said government would introduce Environmental Marshalls in communities across the state to reinforce sensitization and enforcement of environmental laws to effect healthy living.
He noted that the present administration would partner private corporations in the area of waste recycling to create jobs and reduce the burden of waste disposal, even as he said the monthly sanitation exercise would be strengthened to ensure maximum compliance.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Micheal Ivenso, stated that an environmental sustainability and control manual had been created to enlighten the public on the need to respect physical planning laws, calling on them to take ownership of their environment.