Chairman Identifies Cause Of Flooding In PH

About 80 per cent of the flooding that occurs in Port Harcourt metropolis has been attributed to the poor attitude of the populace to environmental needs.

The assertion was made by the chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Flooding in Rivers State, Hon. Godstime Oloku, while speaking as guest at the weekly phone-in programme organised by the Silverbird Communications over the weekend.

Hon Oloku pointed out that the attitude of disposing solid wastes into drains and building on drainage channels was posing environmental challenges, and responsible for flooding in the city.

He stated that in the past Port Harcourt was well drained but wondered why land developers had block major canals coupled with the people attitude.

As the city continue to experience rise in population, the infrastructure, he stated could not contain the current situation in the environment.

He stated that the situation deteriorated following the policy of previous governments that succeeded Commander Diette Spiff which, according to him, drew the drainage master plan of the city.

Hon. Oloku submitted that because of the ineptitude of the contractors in constructing drains, the situation worsened over the years, leading to the flooding experienced in some parts of the city.

Stressing the need for the drainage system of the city to be expanded, the committee chairman assured that the current administration is ready to tackle the menace.

As a result, he disclosed that the construction of 10 ultra-modern drainage systems out of the 42 sites identified as drainage flash-points in Port Harcourt.

Oloku called on the people to be patient with the present administration which was ready to solve the problem, adding that the Governor was ready to approve the budget for the awarding of the project.

Also, he insisted that the people need to be properly educated saying, “the best drainage would be blocked if wastes are dumped into them.”

Hon. Oloku further warned the populace, especially land speculators and developers, who indiscriminately build houses on waterways to desist from such attitude, since it would continue to worsen the flood problem experienced in some parts of the city.