Managing Director, Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA), Mr. Amaechi Akorah has announced a resolve of the Agency to extend `Waste Bagging Campaigns to Markets across the state in order to curb spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Akorah who said this in an interview at the Government House, Awka noted that this has become necessary now that markets in the state have reopened for business after lockdown.

He stressed the importance of bagging of wastes to maintain clean and healthy environment, especially in this pandemic era.
On what the Agency had done in curtailing spread of COVID-19 in the state, Mr. Akorah said that the Agency provided one hundred and twenty litre-waste bins at gated areas and enlightened the residents on bagging of their wastes.

He said that the Agency strictly maintained daily house to house evacuation of refuse to achieve sustainable clean and healthy environment, and ensured prompt evacuation of such wastes on daily basis as the agency has enhanced night shifts for evacuations, to ensure that wastes do not stay overnight.

He added that they have enlightened residents on the need to imbibe the virtue of proper waste disposal, and the trash pickers were properly kitted with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure their safety on the job as well as to curb spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that the Agency increased its fleet of garbage trucks in order to optimise their coverage.
The ASWAMA Managing Director who said that they cleared drainages to ensure free flow of flood and reduce accumulation of silt and debris in public domain, said they would also eliminate vectors that transmit diseases including malaria.

Mr. Amaechi said that they had enlightened the management of hospitals and other waste managers on guidelines for handling infectious wastes within the context of Coronavirus, as provided by National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA).