Delta Calls for Collective Action to Avert Flood Disasters
Delta Calls for Collective Action to Avert Flood Disasters
Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
Delta State Government yesterday made a passionate appeal to all residents in the state as well as other stakeholders and organisations to take a holistic, collective and proactive measures to mitigate the costly impact of natural disasters, particularly flooding.
Against the backdrop of increasing threats posed by flooding, erosion and other environmental hazards, the government stressed the need for general community engagement through the culture of preparedness and sustainable practices to safeguard lives and property across the state.
The State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, made the call at a press conference in t Asaba.
Reacting to Wednesday’s torrential rain and flood erosion in parts of the state, particularly along the Old Lagos-Agbor Road, Boji-Boji Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of the state, Aniagwu said that the situation clearly underscored the urgency of a “collective positive action against natural disasters.”
He urged residents to adopt environmentally friendly practices, adhere to safety guidelines, and work together in building a more resilient Delta State.
Aniagwu said: “Yesterday (Wednesday), most of you saw and witnessed the very heavy downpour across the state, and the havoc it wreaked on some property particularly vehicles and motorcycles in the Ika axis.
“I am sure it happened in other places but it wasn’t that devastating and we needed to address it for individuals to know what is expected of them even as Government has continued to take actions to mitigate such occurrence.
“We are also happy that in Asaba the rain was also quite heavy but we did not see that level of disturbance. We have before now as a government been able to pay good attention to flood control measures.
“I am happy that all of you are very much aware of it that for majority of the roads we have constructed we ensure that we have dual drains. We have giant drains on both sides of that road to accommodate flood water whenever it rains quite heavily.
“In some instances we have proceeded to build storm drainages. You are also very privy to the fact that this administration has also continued along that trajectory.
“Not long ago (some of) you accompanied the governor to inspect the storm drainage across the Ogbeogonogo market which is one of the eight phases of the outcome of a study that was carried out by the previous administration.
“Some of you also accompanied us to area behind the Asaba Specialist Hospital where you also saw a very huge drainage and another storm drainage.
“You are aware of the effort to complete the storm drainage in the Owa-Alero axis and the storm drainage we are building in the Osubi, Okuokoko, Ugolo-Okpe and the Warri axis in addition to the many side drains that we are building along the roads that we are constructing.
“But what we have seen in the course of time as a challenge which we have continued to also emphasize the need for people to become much more responsive and responsible in preventing flood.
“I sympathise with some of our brothers and sisters whose motorcycles or vehicles were either destroyed or taken away by the flood.”
He observed that flood disasters are natural occurrences even in industrially advanced cities, including what the world saw in April last year in Dubai, in United Arab Emirates, which happened despite the level of development or extensive pains taken toward flood- control.
Aniagwu further said: “You also remember sometime around October last year and November in Spain, where splash flood even swept away cars and swept away buildings.
“I am mentioning very advanced societies because of that those who may want to begin to take political advantage, rather than joining us to seek ways of addressing these issues; so that you don’t allow them to paint pictures that are at variance with reality.
“For quite a long time now as an administration, we have emphasised the need for our people to be very environmentally conscious.
“Today, you see a number of persons when they come out from their homes they heap refuse inside these drains hoping that the flood water would help to convey such debris to a natural water course. By the time you do that, you have also undermined the current capacity of that water channel to the estuaries and tributaries that feeds into these storm drainages.
“These tributaries that come from different shorter streets, smaller roads, have also been seriously undermined by human factors, even when government has spent billions of Naira building and constructing these drains.
“If you move out, you will see across different places how individuals are undermining the carrying capacity of the drains that were built by heaping refuse in these drainages.
“When they do so, like it’s often said, water must find its level. The moment you have undermined the capacity of a particular drain, it means that that water, in an attempt to find its level, will now take through certain courses, other than the ones that have been provided to channel the water.
“That is part of what happened in Agbor. It is true that the rainfall was quite intense, and such things could happen once in a while, thereby possibly outsmarting the capacity of the available drains.
“However, those drains are big enough, over the years they have been able to accommodate water flow, but because a number of the tributaries or channels that feed these bigger drains have been seriously undermined by the activities of our people.”
Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Delta State Government yesterday made a passionate appeal to all residents in the state as well as other stakeholders and organisations to take a holistic, collective and proactive
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