The Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) has warned residents to desist from planting tall crops such as maize in residential areas in the Jos-Bukuru neighbourhood of the state.
Mr Christopher Batai, the General Manager of PEPSA, gave the warning on Monday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos.
He said that this was because such crops harboured vectors of certain diseases.
He said that the warning became imperative because the agency had found that many residents had started planting crops within the precincts of their homes, following the onset of rains.
Batai reminded the residents that the law prohibiting the cultivation of tall crops in residential areas was still in force, saying that those who flouted the law would be apprehended and prosecuted.
“This is because tall crops serve as breeding sites for vectors such as mosquitoes and rodents, which cause various ailments in humans,’’ he said.
Besides, Batai appealed to the public to desist from dumping waste indiscriminately, particularly in drainage channels, warning that such acts could lead to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and other gastrointestinal diseases.
He urged the people to imbibe the habit of keeping their surroundings clean at all times so as to prevent diseases
