COMMUNITIES PERCEPTION ON URBAN AND AGRICULTURAL WASTE DUMP ON ENVIRONMENT ALONG RIVER CHANCHAGA, MINNA, NIGERIA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT River Chanchaga is the major effluent receiving stream in Minna. It receives effluent from Urban and Agricultural waste such as domestic and agro-allied chemicals that flow into the natural source of drinking water inducing pollution stress and degradation of aquatic environment. The study investigated the communities’ perception of agricultural and urban pollutants on aquatic environment of the study area. Field surveys, interview and observation methods were used for the study. A total of 250 people accounting for 0.47% approximately 0.5% of the total population were interviewed, making it 8 per each community in 30 communities along the study area. Reconnaissance survey was conducted to get acquainted with physical characteristics of the river. The result indicates that indiscriminate operation of agriculture activities and urban waste discharge posed great public health risk to the inhabitant of the area. The identified health risk causing agents were insects and rodents attracted by garbageheaps (waste dump) and diseases attributable to different forms of water pollution related problems like malaria, cholera, unpleasant odour and aquatic environment degradationRiver Chanchaga. The result is that the communities along the study area are concerned with agrochemical usage (chemical content) with 59.7%, endangered to malaria cases with 12.3% besides unpleasant odour with 7.4%, season bed water taste with 4.1% and proliferation of pest and diseases with 16.5%. Since aquatic ecosystem provide food and water for consumption, the study recommended the improvement in the operation of agricultural practices as well as regulating and monitoring of urban discharge to control or reduce environmental damage that can affect aquatic ecosystem of the study area. It is therefore, necessary to paln and coordinate human activities along this River on that a manner that their negative effect on water quality are minimized as much as possible.