App to monitor soil pollution launched
A civil society organisation, Media Awareness Initiative (MAJI), has unveiled an electronic application capable of monitoring and calibrating air and soil pollution in the Niger Delta.
Okoro Emmanuel, the executive coordinator of MAJI, presented the app, ‘Datacab’, to journalists in Port Harcourt.
Mr Emmanuel stated that the unveiling of the application was born out of the project ‘Citizens Science For Newsroom Project, Data Tools Validation Session’ funded by the U.S. consulate in Nigeria.
He stated that the app was primarily built for newsrooms, investigative journalists, researchers, CSOs and community-based organisations working in the Niger Delta region.
According to Mr Emmanuel, the application, which is in its trial stage, has the capacity to collate the level and frequency of air and soil pollution in the Niger Delta.
He explained that the application, when fully functional, would aid journalists, civil society organisations, community-based organisations, researchers and other members of the public to access accurate data on pollution in the Niger Delta.
The app’s capabilities identify air quality in different forms and locations using devices deployed in the various communities, noted Mr Emmanuel.
“Today, we present our Datacab mobile application. We opened it up for revalidation and review.
“Our primary audience is newsrooms, journalists, CSOs and community-based organisations. We believe that their review of this app will further improve the efficiency and the overall usability of the app.
“We will ensure that the app attains the desired professional standard so that it can be used by newsrooms, CSOs, CBOs and researchers for their independent work across the Niger Delta,” he said.
According to Emmanuel, the app identifies the number of spills in Rivers. It simplifies it so that users of the app can identify locations of oil spills from the app.
Emmanuel mentioned some of the communities monitored with the app across the Niger Delta as Ndokwa West, Yenagoa, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Warri South, Warri North, West, Degema, Etche, Eleme, Isoko North, Emuoha, Ohaji-Egbema, Bonny, among others.
He said the app could also be used to inform the general public about how much pollution has affected the communities within the Niger Delta.
(NAN)
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