Even as the Osun-Osogbo festival will climax on Friday, the Osun State government has advised tourists, devotees and visitors not to drink water from the Osun River because of contamination.
The Commissioner for Health, Rafiu Isamotu, gave the advice on Thursday in Osogbo.
Isamotu said the government embarked on sensitisation to discourage people from drinking the water during the festival as it had been contaminated by the activities of artisanal miners and is not good for human consumption.
He also said public health officials would be at the grove during the festival to further sensitise people on the dangers of drinking the water.
The Osun Osogbo Festival is an annual event usually celebrated in August at the Osun sacred grove, in the worship of the goddess of fertility.
The festival is usually attended by tourists from all over the world, as well as Osun devotees.
During the festival, tourists, visitors and devotees drink from the Osun River for its perceived divination, while some take the water home to bathe with.
According to the curator and site manager of Osun Osogbo Grove, Adekunle Fatai, no fewer than 60,000 devotees and tourists are expected at the grand finale on Friday.
The river is said to have been heavily contaminated with mercury, lead, cyanide and other injurious elements that are poisonous to human health.
Urban Alert, a non-governmental organisation also revealed that a geographical information analysis and laboratory tests carried out also affirmed the presence of heavy elements in the water.
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