Yenagoa—Popular environmental rights activist, Morris Alagoa, has lamented over the menace posed by water hyacinths blocking the water channels in Onopa Community in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State.
Alagoa, the Bayelsa state coordinator of the Environmental Rights Action (ERA), made this known in an interview with newsmen, while on a field advocacy visit to Onopa community.
He insisted that a poorly constructed linkage bridge in the community may have contributed to the worsening of the situation.
“This bridge that has been constructed across very close to the Government House, just some meters to the onopa community, must have been done without an environmental impact assessment.”
Alagoa further lamented the dangers of the dense mats of water hyacinth on the waterway, opining that it could serve as a habitat for dangerous reptiles and insects which would expose the lives of the locals to danger.
“From my point of view, I want to say, this is unacceptable, because one, the type of mosquitos in yenagoa. This could be a very good breeding ground.
“Also, snakes and reptiles could make this their home and it would be very dangerous to human existence,” he stated.
Mangrovepen.ng gathered that the free-flowing aquatic plant has over time covered the popular Epie creek and also clogged drainage canals.
This consequently hinders the movement of people to neighbouring communities via the waterways and also causing flooding during the rainy season.
The continuous spread of the aquatic weed plant on the community river has left locals worried and crying for assistance from both the state and federal government as things become increasingly difficult, owing to the disruption of the economic activities in the community.
God bless you sir