The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday identified municipal waste as major materials causing pollution in Lagos Lagoon.

Mr Yunusa Ibrahim, the Principal Manager, Environment Department of NPA said this in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to him, most municipal waste that ends up in the Lagoon gathers around the harbour areas in the morning and disappears to the other sides in the evening.

‘‘The environment department of NPA always creates awareness in the communities around the water areas on proper waste disposal and how poor waste management comes back to affect them negatively.

‘‘It is difficult to control the waste habits of the communities and also check the flow of municipal waste from channels into the Lagoon.

‘‘The department carries out daily surveillance of the channels emptying water into the Lagoon and also clean- up the waste as it affects ships badly.

‘‘Waste causes serious problems when it enters moving vessels,’’ he said.

Ibrahim said that waste from vessels that berthed at the harbour was not disposed into the lagoon as there were companies outsourced to do it in line with international law.

Ibrahim said that the NPA’s environment department had equipment to clean up oil spills in the ocean and the Lagoon.

He said that the department drilled its pollution response squad monthly to effectively carry out clean-up of water areas any where pollution occurred within the nation’s territorial waters.