Mr Gabriel Bako, the General Manager, Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) has said that the law banning the planting of maize and tall crops in residential areas of the metropolis is still in force.
Bako told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that tall crops in residential areas served as breeding sites for vectors such as mosquitoes and rodents like rats.
”With the beginning of the rains, PEPSA is advising the public to desist from planting tall crops in their compounds and in residential areas as the law prohibiting the act is still in full force and the Agency will prosecute defaulters,” he said.
He further cautioned residents within Jos-Bukuru metropolis to desist from the act of dumping waste in the drains, and from building along waterways as the acts posed health threats and could lead to floods.
”Aside from the flood threat caused by the dumping of waste in drains, it also poses a health threat as it serves as a breeding ground for rodents such as rats that cause Lassa fever, and vectors such as mosquitoes and house flies that cause malaria and cholera.”
He advised the public to ensure that they maintained good sanitary conditions in their environments. (NAN)