CHAIRMAN of Delta State task force on environment, Chief Godspower Omafuvwe, has called on owners of dredgers and dredging site to go for proper documentation at his office will not tolerate any illegality in dredging activities.
Chief Omafuvwe made this known in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State when his team in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment embarked on inspection visit to some dredging sites.
According to him, “We have received a lots of petition from Deltans in respect to dredging activities in the state and in collaboration with the Federal and Delta State ministry of environment decided to move around to ascertained the level of dredgers if they are working in accordance with the law that established dredging activities. 
“And in course of our coming out, we found out that a lot of people have violated the laws and act of dredging as they embark on dredging very close to buildings.
“At some point you see the dredgers with their dredging activities close the bridges and major roads when vehicles are passing, the bridge will be vibrating.
“While we don’t want to stop them from doing their business, but before they could start their business, they should come and obtain permission rom the ministry of Mine and Steel.
“Sometime these ministry should visit the site of these and not just sit down in Abuja or Asaba to issue permit to them without carrying along the federal and state Ministry of environments.
“Most people would go to the market to buy dredger and start working to cause environmental hazard.
“Our office is to embark on enforcement and as at today we have sealed over 80 dredgers in Delta state and it will a regular exercise until they will do the right thing.
“Dredger owners in the state should go for proper documentation at the Federal and State ministry of environment as we will not sit back to allow the Ministry Mine and Steel give permit without the EIA documentation.” He stated.
