No Tolerance For Building On Drainage Channels, Says Fashola

For the second day running, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday undertook a tour of flood affected areas in parts of the State as a result of last Sunday’s heavy rain, saying government would identify and remove all obstructions to the drainage channels in the state.

Governor Fashola, who inspected drainage systems in Gbagada, Somolu, Iganmu and parts of Surulere, said his administration would no longer tolerate construction of structures or any other form of human intervention on the established drainage and flood channels in the state, adding that enforcement would be stepped up immediately.

Speaking particularly on the siting of building on Soluyi drainage channel in Gbagada, Governor Fashola noted, “the channels are there and they are working. But the places that we have these flood mishaps are largely due to human intervention and obstruction of the channels either by building on them or by blocking them with refuse or other items of such nature.

“We were just told by the Permanent Secretary (Drainage) that we are standing on a drainage channel, a channel that flows into Odo Iya Alaro River; that drains Gbagada and Soluyi. Now, this sand filled place was not here two months ago when the Permanent Secretary and his team were here. Now they have sand-filled the water path; you and I are standing on it because people want to build houses,” the governor said.

Pointing out other structures such as fence and a building which were not there when the Permanent Secretary and his team visited the place two months ago, Governor Fashola declared, “now, this we will not tolerate. We are coming back here and people of Soluyi must take note that we will be back here to reestablish this canal.

“When nature takes its course as a result of human action, people’s lives are disturbed and it leads to anguish, but we are the cause. This is the time we must stop people from playing games and putting other people’s lives at risk.”

Governor Fashola assured that contractors are working on the different drainage systems across the state to re-establish the canal lines so that there would be free flow of water during the rains, adding that there was need for more dredging of the waterways which, according to him, have become heavily silted, in order to make them deeper and increase their capacity to hold water in bigger tranches and make the system more efficient.

“We have been to Somolu; we have seen the canal there in System 2, the drains at Bolaji Omupo/Apata. Our contractors are working there, reestablishing the canal lines, so we have been working for months and for years and we have been making progress”, Governor Fashola said adding, “As the work advances, clearly, much more relief will come to the citizens”.

He, however, lamented that after building more canals, people obstruct the smaller connecting channels resulting in restriction to the free flow of water during the rains, citing as example a church under construction on a canal setback at Somolu and a bar and restaurant also built on one of the setbacks in the area.

“They have to go because they are on the canal setback where, ordinarily our machines should take position to work. People cannot build there; it is unacceptable,” the governor said.

Still speaking on the efforts made by his administration to contain flooding in the state, Governor Fashola drew the attention of newsmen to System 4 in Costain/Ijora at Breweries where, according to him, “there is a contract already awarded to solve the invert distortion there for the hydraulic system there to work.”

“You also saw System 5 in Babs Animashaun, Rita Lori, which serves all the way to Ajegunle and parts of Apapa. You saw that our contractors are there working. What we have been trying to do over the years is to turn these earth channels into concrete channels so that they are easier to maintain. They are safer and much more reliable,” the governor said.

Noting that there was little anyone could do about Sunday’s heavy rain which lasted about 16 hours, Governor Fashola, however, pointed out that it has its equalising effect on the ecosystem adding, “Without that rain coming down, I believe air travel would have become increasingly difficult. There were thick pockets of cloud in the air, well over 12 to 15,000 feet which should not be.

“All these are nature’s interconnection. With the down pour, I can tell you, some pilots will tell you that navigation has become a lot better, the farmer will benefit, the fisherman will benefit. So it is for us all as a people to understand that we are to be much more controlled and restrained in the manner that we behave, in the manner that we use social and public infrastructure,” the governor said.

Acknowledging the work done in the past 20 to 30 years about drainage planning in Lagos, Governor Fashola restated, “we will continue to do what we need to do. I believe our policies and programmes by our experts here are properly established. People must understand that the drainage system is an intricate and connected system. It is a Science and the way they are designed, the Lagos Drainage System, the machines and the hydraulics here, work. That is why you see that immediately after the rains, water disappears.

“Of course, the systems will be much more efficient during heavy down pours if we do not restrict them. Constriction of the drains is what forces the water out of the drains and brings it into your homes. Everybody must act responsibly and stay away from the drainage paths. We have told our law enforcement agents that there must be no tolerance for people building close to the drains. We cannot put peoples’ lives at risk. ”

Sympathizing with victims of the flooding of last Sunday in parts of the state, Governor Fashola also appealed to individuals and organizations in the state to donate food and household items like mattresses and others to the victims adding that the government would soon open channels through which the charitable donors could reach the victims.

The second day of the tour to flood affected areas took Governor Fashola to the National Theatre, Iganmu where he inspected the Trapezoidal on Pile drain in the area and directed some of the traders in livestock and feeds to vacate the part of the drain where they have erected shanties immediately saying they could trade in the place but must live elsewhere.

The governor also toured Babs Animashaun via Abebe Village and Eric Moore, where he inspected the ongoing system 5 Channel and Enitan/ Agbebi Street and also inspected the Aguda Ikate Canal . He was also at the Bolaji Omupo/Apata area where he inspected the Bolaji Omupo Collector discharging to system 2.

At the Omo Alade Alafia where he inspected discharge to system 2 and Gbagada/ Bariga Channel, the governor directed that a church named The Faith of Christ Evangelical Church on Igi Olugbin Street , Awofodu Bus stop in Pedro must give way because it is located directly on the drain setback.

At the Medina Estate, Soluyi in Gbagada, Governor Fashola visited Adeola Street to inspect the collector drain which is supposed to take water to the Odo Iya Alaro River.

He frowned at the sand filling of the drain line which has recently been carried out by someone who intends to develop a structure on the drain line.

The governor gave a commitment that officials of the state drainage department will be back at the site to remove the sand filling which has constricted the flow of water when it rains, adding that all other structures on the drain line will be removed. At each of the stop points, the governor addressed the residents on the need to do their part which is to ensure that the drains are kept free from refuse because rains are natural occurrence which has been adequately prepared for by the state government.

The Governor was taken round the affected areas by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainages in the Ministry of the Environment, Engineer Muhydeen Akinsanya. Others in his entourage included the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed, Special Adviser on the Environment, Dr Taofeek Folami and officials of the department of drainage services.