We’re Intensifying Efforts To Curb Flood Menace—Bello

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, says the government is intensifying efforts to curb the menace of flood within the Lagos metropolis.

He said Lagosians must endure and cooperate with the government to achieve the success of mitigating the impact flood in the metropolis.

The commissioner said this during an inspection tour of on-going drainage projects in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, saying that experts had earlier warned that “ Lagos will experience heavy rainfall just like that of last year. Lagos is expected to record 1279mm with marginal error of 50mm.”

Bello stated that the ministry had been proactive enough to have come up with forward-looking strategy and work plan which had divided its de-flooding programme into a trimester of pre-rain, mid-rain and post-rain plan.

According to him, Lagosians should collaborate with the government by cleaning the drainages in their frontages and desisting from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorised places as well as desist from carrying out commercial activities on drainage alignments.

He further enjoined Lagosians to report all cases of drainage blockages, dumping of waste into canals and other unauthorised places to resident engineers/drainage maintenance officers whose phone numbers had been published in major newspapers, saying that “by so doing, you are complementing the state government’s efforts.”

The commissioner said the deflooding programme of the, government which is primarily aimed at ensuring free flow of water and reducing the incidence of flood was being intensified.

The drainage projects inspected include Elere Drain in Agege, running through Odejobi, Agunbiade/Alfa Nla, which will deflood Iju Road, Elere Street, Alfa Nla Road, Agunbiade Road, Odejobi Street and Old Abeokuta Expressway.

Others in the area are Awori-Moricas Drain, Adealu Drain (650.00m), Papa Ashafa, which will deflood Moricas, Awori, Adenle, Alfa Nla, Ipaja streets, Roche, Ifelodun streets, Adealu and Papa Ashafa streets and environs.

Bello also visited ongoing drainage construction sites in GRA, Ikeja. The collector drains in the area include Oduduwa Street drain, Fanikayode/Sobo Arobiodu drain, Oduduwa Outfall (168.00m long) to deflood Oduduwa, Sobo Arobiodu, Fanikayode streets, Oduduwa Cresent and environs.

He noted that all ongoing drainage projects across the state were designed to take care of all classes of Lagosians as everyone deserved equal attention from the government.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga