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Tag: flooding

  • Flooding: Okoko residents cry for help

    Heavy rains have brought untold hardship upon residents of Jimoh Street and its environs in Okokomaiko, a suburb of Lagos State.

    In the last few days, environmentalists have called for urgent intervention by the state government to prevent the outbreak of a disaster in the area as the rainy season gets underway.

    Residents’ cry for help was led by the chairman of Community Development Association (CDA) for Odo Oniresi, Chief Emmanuel Ajila.

    The community leader attributed the flood to a combination of factors while stressing the need for an urgent intervention to prevent the situation from worsening in the coming weeks.

    Ajila who commended the effort of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the state said the cause of the flood ravaging the area was abandonment of construction work on the streets.

    “The works were supposed to start from Jimoh Street and then linked Kaka, but instead they started from Suya junction to PPL and Ora through Kaka, thereby cutting off half of Jimoh Street from the whole work,” he explained.

    He said: “Presently, work is going on at these other areas. Jimoh Street is 720 meters long. Construction work extends to only 180 metres while the remaining 500 metre is cut off.”

    He enumerated the efforts made so far by the community to draw the attention of the government. “We have written letters to the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure

    Development, under the aegis of Positive Forum Association of Jimoh Street and the letter was acknowledged by the ministry. Despite that, the water connector approved for this area has yet to be done.”

    Alhaji Ajila appreciated the quick response of the state governor, stating: “He is the first Lagos State governor that listened to the cry of the poor masses in Okokomaiko.”

  • Residents urge govt to combat flooding, poor drainage

    Residents of Shomolu area of Lagos State yesterday urged Lagos State government to tackle poor drainage and flooding in parts of the community.

    A cross section of the residents said a downpour penultimate Saturday had led to stagnant water with attendant health-related issues.

    Some of the affected area, according to residents, includes Soji Oshodi and Mutariu streets.

    According to residents, the stagnant water is due to blocked drainage, poor sanitation and bad road.

    A resident, Abimbola Ajibade said:” The roads are always waterlogged, and unkempt, when rain falls; it makes it so uncomfortable for cars to pass or even people to walk through. Already, there are potholes on the roads and it’s also difficult for motorcycles and commercial tricycles to ply the streets. We are calling on the Lagos State government to come to our rescue.”

    “ Due to the potholes on the road, when rain falls it usually takes weeks before the water dries up. The blocked drainage makes the water stagnant and that attracts flies and breeds mosquitoes, putting people at the risk of malaria attack,’’ said a resident, identified simply as Lawrence.

    ”We are begging the government to rebuild the affected roads because of the hardship expereinced by commuters and motorists everyday,’’ said another resident, Mrs Moji Akinshola.

  • Lagos Island and flooding menace

    One main issue facing Lagos today is environmental degradation. This is partly as a result of Lagos status as the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and, indeed, West Africa. With a population of about 24 million people, Lagos, no doubt, deserves a significant provision for a hygienic and flood free environment. Lagos naturally runs the risk of environmental hazard as its continuous increase in population exposes it to several environmental hazards.

    The rains are again here and Lagos, Nigeria’s city of aquatic splendour, runs the risk of being in the firm but cold embrace of flood. Whenever it rains, flooding is usually a nightmarish experience for many Lagos residents.

    Added to the Lagos flooding concern is the peculiar nature of the state’s landscape which is basically made up of low-lying terrain up to 0.4 per cent below the sea level. Obviously, this poses serious drainage challenge for the state, thereby making it vulnerable to flooding. In Lagos, the water from the Lagoon goes into the Atlantic Ocean. Once the Atlantic Ocean is full, the water from the Lagos Lagoon cannot get into it. Consequently, the excess water from the Lagos Lagoon naturally leads to flooding.

    It is, thus, very important for Lagosians to desist from all human activities that could further aggravate the flooding situation in the state. Therefore, actions such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorised places like drains and canals, trading on drainage channels, illegal building of structures on drainage alignments, road setbacks and verges, among others, should be shunned by the people.

    Lagosians must, at all times, embrace positive attitude towards the environment.  As earlier stated, Lagos currently has a population in excess of 24 million people and it is still increasing. The implication of that on our environment is increased tons of waste generation. If this trend of environmental abuse, especially indiscriminate waste disposal, persists, it may spell greater doom than what we have experienced in the past, in terms of flooding.

    The only exemptions to such ugly scenes of flooding after rains in Lagos are, perhaps, the Government Reserved Areas and private estates in the metropolis where the elite reside, as they are usually kept free of indiscriminate dumping of refuse. Lagos is bedevilled by the result of partial collection of their waste. Most importantly, the city has not succeeded in cultivating the communities in terms of sustainable waste disposal methods, and ownership of such projects in terms of income generating activities for the communities’ members.

    Although it cannot be denied that the current administration in the state has shown efforts and commitment towards ensuring a hygienic and safe environment, but more still has to be done as nothing can be too much to be done in securing the lives and properties of the people.  Lagos Island is often the worst hit when it comes to flooding in the state.

    Areas in Lagos Island such as Ojo Giwa Street, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Road, Oroyinyin Street, Ido Oluwo Street, Shademi Street and environs are often flooded beyond imagination in the aftermath of heavy downpour. These areas have suffered the most from the downpour within the last few days. Lagosians residing within these areas have lodged complaints several times on this condition, uploaded several videos on social media on the impact of the flooding but all to no avail. People in the areas have lost their valuables and incurred record expenses.

    As previously stated, the current administration in the state is doing its best to address quite a number of environmental hazards in the state, despite lean resources and other competing needs. However, we implore the government to see this as a clarion call from the people of Lagos Island to pay special attention to the almost unbearable challenges of flooding in the area.

    On our part as residents of Lagos Island, we are communicating to the people to embrace attitudinal changes that would impact positively on the environment so that whenever it rains the damaging effects of flooding can be mitigated. We will not rest on our oars until our people stop all flooding induced habits.  Now that the rains are fully here, we will do all things that are within our reach as a people to reduce its negative effects on us. But there is, indeed, an urgent need for the state government to quickly come in and do the needful for the sake of protecting human lives and properties.

    • Eshilokun writes in from Lagos Island

     

  • Oyo to tackle flooding

    Oyo State government has said machinery has been put in place to mitigate flood disaster in Ibadan, the state capital.

    Many areas of the city witnessed flood last Friday and on Monday during a downpour.

    Although nobody died, buildings, including schools, were submerged.

    Some of the affected areas include University of Ibadan, Omi Adio, Gbekuba and Apata.

    The government, through the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP), with support from the World Bank, said it was on top of the situation.

    The commissioners for Information and Culture, as well as Finance and Budget, Messrs. Toye Arulogun and Abimbola Adekanmbi, who were at a three-day workshop on the role of the media in mitigating flood risk in Ibadan, organised by IUFMP, held yesterday at the Plaza De Haruna, Oyo called on residents not to panic, as measures were being taken to prevent disaster.

    In his paper on the role of the media in mitigating flood risks, delivered at the three- day workshop, Arulogun sought synergy between the government and media in mitigating flood risks.

    He cited groundbreaking work on the City Masterplan, Flood Risk Management and Drainage Master Plan, and the Solid Waste Management Master plan as part of the government’s strategies to mitigate flood in the city.

    Adekanmbi identified flood as a universal disaster, saying the city has had its share of flood disasters since 1951.

    The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Musa Olawoye, said successive governments had offered palliatives without solving the flood menace.

    Other resource persons at the workshop, which began on Monday, included Dr. Adeyinka Lanihun and Mr Bolaji Oladepo, who advocated a synergy between the media and IUFMP to assist in mitigating flood in Ibadan.

  • Flooding: Edo urges residents to clear drains

    Flooding: Edo urges residents to clear drains

    … Assures of timely waste evacuation

     

    The Edo State government has urged residents in the state to clear gutters and embrace best practice in disposing their wastes as the raining season sets in.

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the early rains, though good for agricultural activities, “could impact on the physical environment if proactive measures are not taken by residents to desilt drains and properly dispose their wastes.”

    He noted that “the heavy rains are coming earlier than projected by the federal government weather monitoring agencies and could cut short the dry season window and impact on ongoing road construction work across the state.”

    Osagie assured that efforts are being made by the appropriate agency of government to reduce the down time of domestic wastes at collection points and evacuate debris from drainages.

    “The Ministry of Environment is worried over the delay in evacuating debris on the road side and is currently simulating several options with a view to adopting the most effective way of dealing with this challenge.

    “When the debris are left on the road side, the rains could wash them back into the gutters and when that happens, the surrounding environment will be flooded. People can be sacked from their homes and business places.

    “We need a new attitude towards waste disposal and management as stakeholders in our human environment. Often times we bring home things we do not need, that end up in our trash cans.”

    He maintained that the medium to long-term plans of the state government are to harness the energy generation potential in wastes and recycling/reprocessing through robust private sector investment, to create jobs, produce renewable energy and environmentally-friendly materials, among other benefits.

    “The waste to wealth initiative has become very popular across the world and Edo State is ready to key into it and get its fair share of the initiative,” Osagie said.

    Read Also: Edo communities protest herdsmen attacks

  • State governments, agencies urged to tackle flooding

    State governments, agencies urged to tackle flooding

    Nigerians and government have been urged to prepare for the next rainy season to mitigate the impact of flooding.

    The YMonitor, an affiliate platform under the umbrella of The Future Project interested in active citizenship and responsible government – is championing the campaign to call both citizens and government to action on this issue.

    The firm believes that flood is devastating, and it could get worse if nothing is done before the rains come.

    Recall that over 110,000 people in 24 communities were displaced by flood in Benue last year, with 10,000 Nigerians affected in Kogi State, while there were also loss of lives and properties in Borno, Niger, Oyo, Gombe, and Kaduna states. Almost every part of the country was affected.

    In Lagos, highbrow locations such as Lekki, Victoria Island and more were most affected, as residents were seen paddling through the streets, cars completely submerged, and houses overrun by water.

    Flood-prone states have a lot to do, but many of the states have abandoned their master plans, with citizens erecting structures illegally. Before the rains come, it is important that states rise up to their responsibility.

    This remains a global experience, not peculiar to Nigeria, but it cannot be disputed that enough has not been done to check flooding in Nigeria.

    The seasons are changing and becoming unpredictable, and when the rains come, they pour like a sea of water while the sun burns deep into the skin. Climate change is constantly treated with levity, yet it is not too late to be addressed.

    State governments have therefore been urged to re-visit their master plans and make amends where necessary. They should also partner with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency to disseminate information on weather situations and flash points. There is also a need for more enlightenment programs on the cause and effect of flooding with data to aid understanding.

    Citizens are also encouraged to quit blaming the government and take responsibility for their environment. It is our collective duty to create and maintain a sustainable environment.

    Obviously, the rains we cannot prevent, but we can manage the flood. We must take action before the rains come.

  • Ekiti commissioner promotes tree-planting to tackle flooding, storm

    Ekiti State Commissioner for Environment, Chief Bisi Kolawole, has urged the residents to plant trees and stop indiscriminate felling of trees to evade flooding.

    The commissioner spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while reacting to the havoc the recent rainstorms wreaked on the state.

    Kolawole said indiscriminate felling of trees is harmful to the environment because it could cause flooding.

    The commissioner noted that trees are essential in protecting homes and communities, adding that a minimum of two trees should be planted in place of every tree that has been pull down to protect the environment from rainstorm, flooding and strong wind.

    He noted that besides aesthetics and shade, mature trees stabilise soil and reduce erosion, increase soil fertility, enhance the capability of land to store water, provide wildlife habitat, moderate air and soil temperatures and regulate minerals in the soil.

    According to him, trees improve air quality for healthier breathing by absorbing carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide from the air, while simultaneously releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

    He reiterated the determination of the state government to also end indiscriminate dumping of refuse and building of structure on waterways.

  • Flooding: Submerged Ijaw communities cry out to Govt

    Flooding: Submerged Ijaw communities cry out to Govt

    Hundreds of families in more than 20 communities in Burutu council area of Delta state have been rendered homeless by flooding.

    Many of the families in the most hit communities, it was gathered, have taken to makeshift accommodations made out of boats.

    The flood, which has become a seasonal occurrence, affected communities situated around the banks and estuaries of Ramos and Forcados Rivers, leaving most of the communities submerged.

    Giving an overview of the effect of the flooding on the communities, National President of the Delta state-based Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (FOHURAC), Alaowei Cleric, said not less than 20 communities have been most affected.

    “We have dispatched our social welfare department staffers to the communities for an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas. Already we have received distress calls from our members in the affected communities that there is a great humanitarian crisis in the areas visited.

    “According to our team of field supervisors, communities grievously affected by the flood are: Eseimogbene, Ekametagbene, Oyangbene, Akparemogbene, Egolegbene, Ayakoromo, Bubougbene, Newtown, Yayorogbene, Gbekebor, Obotebe, Ekorogbene and Okrika. Others are: Ebeingbene, Ogboingbene, Ogodobiri, Okoloba, Akugbene, Enekorogha, Edegbene, Opurutiegbene, Kalafuogbene, Ebeberegbene, Ekogbene, etc all in Burutu and Bomadi LGAs.

    Read: 27-yr-old held for alleged rape in Delta

    “The situation is becoming so precarious in the affected communities except an urgent attention is given to them by the relevant authorities. We can’t tell what will be the fate of these people in the incoming days if no succour is given to them.

    “We therefore call on the Government of Delta State, especially the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), Red Cross Society and all developmental partners/NGOs to come to the aid of these communities.

    “We also implore the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Sen. (DR.) Ifeanyi Okowa to send an emergency response team to the affected communities to get first hand information. The Governor’s timely response will save lives that have been endangered”, Cleric said.

    Reasd Also: Flooding can impact negatively on food production, health – NiMet DG

  • States must take proactive measures on flooding – Saraki

    States must take proactive measures on flooding – Saraki

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday asked state governments and other stakeholders to take proactive measures to minimize the risk of flooding in their areas.

    Saraki said a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, that recent reports showed that as many as 30 out of the 36 states in the country are at risk for flooding due to inadequate town-planning, construction oversights and obstructed drainage systems.

    He said states and other stakeholders should take the issue of flooding seriously in the interest of their people.

    The Senate president said: “We have to take this issue of flooding very seriously, God has blessed Nigeria in so many ways. We are not like many other nations that experience cataclysmic natural disasters that leave considerable destruction.

    “This issue of flooding is something that with proper planning and proactive steps, we can minimize and mitigate the loss of lives and damage to property.

    “What we need to do is for all stakeholders, by this I mean governments across all levels, town planning councils and our emergency management agencies, to meet to discuss how we can put in place long-term strategies to stop these floods so that we can end this fire-brigade approach of dealing with crisis situation.”

    The Senate president also listed some immediate steps that states across the federation must take to reduce flooding.

    He added: “Our state governments need to work with town-planners to identify areas that are at risk for flooding. Additionally, we need to immediately put in place both sensitization and punitive measures to ensure that people are not blocking our drainage systems. When these drainage systems are blocked, especially in urban centers, the water begins to accumulate during heavy rains.”

  • Ogun steps up measures against flooding

    In the wake of the predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA), which listed Ogun among the states to experience above-normal rainfall this year, the state government has put in place measures to stem flooding.

    The state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Director, Mr. Sakirulah Adebakin, in a statement signed by the Head of the Media, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Goke Gbadamosi, said the government had embarked on sensitisation programmes on the need to refrain from environmentally-unfriendly dispositions, such as dumping of refuse in drainages, and building of houses on waterways.

    Adebakin said his agency was collaborating with the 20 local government areas and 37 council development areas to identify flood- prone areas  and sensitise residents on flood prevention.

    He said SEMA had scaled up sensitisation through jingles on radio and television, saying the government was also working with the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives to reach out to the people through Community Development Committees (CDCs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs) across the state.

    “We are very proactive in dealing with the issue of flooding. Natural disasters like flood usually do not give notice before they happen. But it can be prevented. We have shifted our attention from mere provision of relief to prevention. That is why we have embarked on massive public enlightenment as well as sensitisation to inform the citizens on ways to prevent flood,” he said.

    Adebakin urged people living along river banks and flood-prone areas to relocate to safer grounds, adding that it is better to avoid flooding than seeking succour after it occurs.

    He advised residents to keep government abreast of situations, particularly flood-related cases for prompt and adequate intervention, as government remains committed to the safety of lives and property of its citizens.