An environmental expert in Lokoja, Joseph Athanacios, has advised government and residents to work in synergy to clear all blocked drainage channels especially in flood prone areas in the state.
This, he said, is to allow for free flow of water whenever it rains and prevent flooding as the rainy season intensifies.
He also said that government must address the issue poor drainage channels, indiscriminate disposal of waste, indiscriminate building of structures on waterways and poor urban planning, amongst others which contribute to flooding.
“Communities on the flood plains need to be sensitized on the danger of flooding and the need to relocate to upland, just as government should make provisions of alternative shelters for such people,’’ Athanacios said in an interview with North Central Trust.
He said government must also be firm in enforcing appropriate town planning laws against indiscriminate building of houses on flood plains.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment, Yahaya Usman, said amongst the proactive measures taken to mitigate flooding include inspection and clearing of blocked drainage channels, frequent de-silting of drainages, provision of waste bins for proper waste collections, adequate sensitisation of riverine communities on flooding and enforcement of the law against those building on the flood plains.
Kogi State has continued to battle the challenge of perennial flood disasters with devastating consequences on the socio-economic wellbeing of the people over the years.
Credit: Daily Trust
