The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has decried the upsurge in noise pollution across the state and the resultant environmental violations, as it recoded over 50 complaints and sealed 15 hospitality facilities within seven days.
The General Manager of the Agency, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe disclosed this during an enforcement exercise embarked upon due to the constant outcry over environmental noise.
She lamented the flagrant disobedience of some hospitality/leisure operators to environmental laws guiding their business operations.
According to her, they responded to over 50 complaints on noise pollution and sealed 15 facilities after verification and confirmation of claims.
“This calls for caution and responsiveness on the part of all concerned. The issue of noise pollution has become a perennial problem that is posing a serious threat to the sanity, stability and peace of mind of victims”.
“Reports received in recent times are mostly about earlier sealed and re-opened facilities, indicating non-adherence to rules and regulations by the sanctioned operators. Their short-lived compliance is thereby pretentious and deceptive and shall be dealt with in accordance with the extant laws”, she averred.
While noting that more zones have been created to avail residents the opportunity to report any environmental pollution in their areas, Fasawe listed the facilities sealed for violating the right of residents to a peaceful environment.
They are: SkyLounge nightclub at 10 Dayo Adeniji Street, New Oko-Oba, Agege; a residential building at 208 Ikorodu Road; CIRCA Food/ Restaurant, located at 12A Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase I; and New Hotel at 40, Ekoro Road, Abule Egba, Lagos.
“It is disheartening to note that standard of compliance, particularly from recalcitrant pollutants that had earlier been sanctioned, and later given a clean bill for complying with extant laws are still engaging in the act of noise-making”, the GM expressed.
