The Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA) has warned residents to cease dumping refuse into drainage systems to prevent flooding risks.

Hajia Idayat Folorunsho, Acting General Manager of KWEPA, issued the directive during a recent inspection and awareness exercise in Ilorin.

Represented by Mrs Tajudeen Fasilat Feyisayo, Head of the Waste Management Department, she stressed the importance of unobstructed water flow in drains to mitigate flooding.

She said the exercise was part of the routine inspection of the Agency to sensitize the public, especially now that the rainy season has commenced, emphasizing the need for residents to make provision for toilets and warning that any building without a toilet will be sealed. She said the move was to prevent the outbreak of cholera and other diseases.

The Acting General Manager reiterated that the Agency is determined to end open defecation to prevent the outbreak of diseases.

"When the drainage is blocked, water will always find its way and this could lead to the destruction of lives and properties. We advise residents to register with the registered waste collectors for easy evacuation of wastes. They should also make provision for sanitary waste bins and nylons", she said.