The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has called on Nigerians to promptly report environmental violations to the agency.

Innocent Barikor, the director-general, NESREA, made the call in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Barikor spoke through Elijah Udofia, the director of Environmental Quality Control (EQC), NESREA.

The director-general also urged Nigerians to respect environmental laws and regulations in the country.

He said the agency would not fail to take action against individuals or facilities that violated those laws.

Mr Barikor said the agency had received and responded to several complaints about noise pollution.

He said the complaints were mostly from faith-based organisations (churches and mosques), night clubs, social gardens, power-generating sets, and musical shops, among others, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other states of the federation.

“These complaints received were investigated and resolved,” he stated.

He said the National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2009, prescribed the maximum permissible noise levels in a facility or activity to which a person might be exposed to.

“Regulation 5(1) states that “No person shall emit or cause to be emitted, or permit the emission of noise resulting from any action or activity specified in sub-regulation (2) of this regulation if that noise is a disturbance to the receptor or in the neighbourhood for more than two minutes or is within the prohibited time in a residential area or Noise Control Zone as determined by the agency in consultation with state and local governments.’’

Mr Barikor said regulations 5 (1) and (2) (a) addressed noise pollution caused by the use of power bikes at night.

He said the regulations equally addressed noise from other forms like in the places of worship, markets, sales, and promotion with the public address system, among others.

Mr Barikor said facilities guilty of non-compliance had been sanctioned as provided in the National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations 2009 after being served several notifications to abate noise pollution.

He said that to effectively carry out its mandate, the agency was enforcing the provisions of 35 National Environmental Regulations on various environmental issues.

“The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that the citizenry has access to a quiet environment; these regulations have noise limits for places at different times.

“The regulations also call on individuals to report noise pollution complaints to the agency for swift intervention and abatement,” Mr Barikor.

He said in pursuit of the implementation of the National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2009, the agency embarked on sensitisation of the general public on the provisions of the regulations.

The NESERA boss said the regulations stressed the sources and dangers of noise and ways of ameliorating the menace.

He said in pursuit of the implementation of the National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2009, the agency embarked on sensitisation of the general public on the provisions of the regulations.

Mr Barikor said the agency was working on carrying out enforcement exercises against some facilities in Abuja and Nasarawa State for violating the provisions of the regulations.

“Recently, Cyvillian Garden, a popular relaxation spot in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, was shut down by NESREA over complaints on noise pollution by residents,’’ he said.

Mr Barikor reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring a healthier environment for all Nigerians.

(NAN)