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Tag: flash flooding

  • Lagos ‘to address’ flash flooding

    Lagos ‘to address’ flash flooding

    Lagos State has again said it will find solutions to flash flooding, and reclaim the environment from infractions.

    Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, spoke after an inspection of drainages and projects in Eti-Osa Local Government. .

    The team of permanent secretaries in the ministry – Gaji Omobolaji and Mahamood Adegbite – visited Orchid Road/Royal Pine Estate Secondary Collector Construction, where the state and residents agreed on ways to mitigate damage from addressing the corridor of System 156/157 to deflood the area and environs.

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    Wahab noted that negotiations had been on with residents and home owners who contravened the drainage by obliterating System 156, and were given two options of either removing the contraventions and allow the system to discharge into Ikota River through 157, or they come up with a design to be funded by residents.

    The team also visited Ikota GRA (System 44A) to check the Bill of Quantity prepared by residents to have a middle ground following infractions for construction of a Secondary Collector by residents.

    The commissioner said the construction would begin in January, and supervised by engineers from the ministry after payment.

    Wahab said System 1 was created in 1974, and it is the biggest and widest Primary Channel that defloods major parts of the mainland. It cuts across Ogudu, Ojota, Ifako, Gbagada, and Maryland.

  • Imminent flash flood looms, Lagos warns residents

    Imminent flash flood looms, Lagos warns residents

    Residents of Lagos have been urged to prepare for imminent flash flooding following the intensity of rain exprieced last week Wednesday and Thursday.

    Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement, described the rainfall as the ‘heaviest’ in many months. 

    Wahab explained that coupled with the release of water from the Oyan Dam, the channels can no longer discharge into the rivers. 

    It reads: “The intensity of the rainfalls between Wednesday and Thursday has led to the levels of the major rivers rising, thus making it difficult for the major drainage channels to discharge until it goes down which is just happening gradually.

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    “This latest flash flood advisory is necessary because various data gathered from the weather monitoring stations in the state showed that Thursday’s average and maximum values was the highest so far this year.

    “In the past few weeks, the overall conditions observed show there’s a drastic increase in water level at our four gauge stations within the state, and knowing fully well that Ogun Osun River Basin Development Authority is releasing water from two gates of the Oyan Dam as announced earlier. 

    “A few days ago, at Kara (calibrated), the water level recorded 2.2m, and which most likely might hit the threshold any time soon. At Isheri-North GRA, the water level recorded 20.015m which is above the flood threshold. These show that the catchment areas along these axes are already experiencing river flooding. 

     “At Majidun, in the whole year, the peak water level was recorded on October 14 at 1.466m, while the minimum value was at 0.538m. At Falomo, with the incessant rainfall coupled with water releases from OORBDA, both upstream and downstream of Lagos State will definitely experience flooding along the corridors.”

    Wahab therefore reiterated the need for people living in low lying areas and the banks of the Ogun River to put their safety first by moving upland to prevent avoidable loss of lives and properties because the state will still experience more rainfalls this month.

  • LASG warns residents of flash flooding

    LASG warns residents of flash flooding

    The Lagos State Government on Saturday again raised an alarm of renewed threat of flash flooding in the state following the intensity of rainfall experienced in the state on Thursday which has been described as the heaviest in many months.

    The State Government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, explained that coupled with the release of water by the authorities of Oyan Dam, the channels can no longer discharge into the rivers.

    He said the intensity of the rainfalls between Wednesday and Thursday has led to the levels of the major rivers rising thus making it difficult for the major drainage channels to discharge until it goes down which is just happening gradually.

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    Wahab said the latest flash flood advisory had become necessary in view of the fact that various data gathered from the weather monitoring stations in the state showed that Thursday’s average and maximum values were the highest so far this year.

    “In the past few weeks, the overall conditions observed show there’s a drastic increase in water level at our four gauge stations within the State and knowing fully well that Ogun Osun River Basin Development Authority is releasing water from two gates of the Oyan Dam as announced earlier”.