By Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
The Katsina State Government has commenced the distribution of modern cooking stoves to households as part of efforts to tackle climate change and reduce its impact on the environment.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Mahammed Al-Amin, disclosed this while speaking to journalists, saying the distribution would be conducted in phases to reach households across the state’s 361 wards.
Al-Amin said the government had already distributed more than 70,000 cooking stoves under the first phase of the programme.
“We are working to ensure every household receives the stove across the 34 local government areas, down to the 361 wards,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the state government was taking climate change seriously because of its impact on the environment and had introduced various measures to address the challenge.
He said the measures included collaborating with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), individuals and other organisations to promote large-scale tree planting and protect existing trees.
According to him, the government is targeting the planting of 11 million trees by 2030, beginning with two million trees this year.
Al-Amin commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for providing moral and financial support towards addressing the effects of climate change.
He said the governor’s commitment to environmental protection had earned the state recognition and awards from international communities and non-governmental organisations.
The commissioner, however, expressed concern over the indiscriminate cutting of trees despite the existence of laws prohibiting the practice.
He warned individuals and groups involved in illegal tree felling that they would face the consequences of the law.
Al-Amin urged residents to report anyone caught cutting down trees to security agencies to support the government’s efforts to protect the environment.
