We live in a more advanced world where almost all our basic activities have been made easier with the invention of new technologies, gone are the days when humans had to involve themselves in so much hard labour to get things done, technology has indeed been a blessing to us but as to every good thing, there would always be a bad side and one of the downsides is the pollution of air, water and even noise pollution, mostly generated as waste or during the process.
I currently reside in Lagos, Nigeria, which is known as the most industrious state, thereby more populated than most states in the country, it is a state filled with every tribe of the nation, whose original migrated ancestors were probably here for the aim of greener pastures, compared to other states, it is easier to earn an income here both honestly and otherwise because Lagos is filled with most industries and other major economic sectors, it serves as the headquarter of most banks as well.
There is one distinct feature about Lagos that I didn't notice until I had to visit another state since I was born and bred here, I thought it was normal, imagine having to literally breathe a relief of fresh air when you leave Lagos to other states, I never knew how dense and polluted the air we breathe here was until I breathe that natural fresh air in a new state did I realize how much harm we were doing to ourselves, and the reason why people, even the young easily get bedridden with major illnesses today,
A major cause is pollution from car exhaust, I believe every one out of four families own a car in Lagos, and sometimes a family might have more than one car, and these cars are usually on the road most days in the week, not only causing traffic but also releasing the toxin Carbon monoxide to the air, which is unhealthy for our health.
Another major case of pollution is the way waste is being dumped by its residents, on the roads, it is common to see people dump used plastic or whatever waste they have just finished with on the road, while some go as far as dumping garbage into the drainage also known as gutter here, thereby blocking the free flow of water and further leading to flooding, I have experienced the government try to educate people on the right way to go about disposing waste and even created organizations such as KAI also known as Kick against Indiscipline, where anyone caught disposing of ways the wrong wy were punished or fined according to the law, there is also the PSP truck that goes street to street, helping people take out the garbage for a little token, still, most Lagosians are too stubborn to yield to correction, that I don't see any major changes coming anytime soon.
In conclusion, though industrialization and technological advancements in Lagos, Nigeria, improved the standard of living, we still face the bad effect of pollution which needs looking into, as this has become a threat to our health, also we the residents and people of Lagos have a huge role to play as well, being conscious and properly educated on how to keep Lagos clean.
All images used in this post are mine