Date: 2017-11-02

Kwara Government has warned residents of the state against indiscriminate bush burning during the dry season to avert contraction of strange diseases caused by rodents.

The State's Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Otunba Taiwo Joseph, gave the warning while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin on Wednesday.

Joseph explained that bush burning was capable of forcing rodents to vacate their natural habitat and cause the outbreak of diseases that could be contracted by human beings. According to him, some people were in the habit of burning the bush around them indiscriminately as soon as the dry season approaches. He said that the state government was not unaware of the practice.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Ezekiel Afolabi, said that the present administration in the state had stepped up campaign against outbreak of diseases found in some parts of the country. He said that the state government had also put in place some preventive measures.

He urged the people of the state to imbibe the habit of keeping their surroundings clean besides disposing of their wastes, which could cause some "strange illnesses". "We need to clean our environment all the time.

"Let me say this for the benefit of our people at home. As you are all aware, dry season is coming, let us avoid bush burning. "We should not engage in it at all because it may escalate and cause outbreak of diseases.

"Some people, because it is what they are used to every year, engage in bush burning. We are unknowingly changing the environment of rodents, which on its own, could cause outbreak of disease.

"We need to make our environment clean all the time but that does not mean that we should destroy bushes on account of burning them," the commissioner said. Joseph, however, gave assurance that the ministry will continue to sensitise residents to the issues affecting their health and well being. NAN