Commissioner Decries Contruction On Natural Drainages

The recurrent cases of flooding within the state metropolis has been linked to obstructions on the natural water passage way.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Nyema Weli, during his inaugural sanitation exercise, stated that part of the challenges his ministry faces at the moment is that of the blocade of the natural drainages, due among others to regular usuage and subsequent disposal of “pure” water sachets, polythene bags and plastics into the gutters and drainages.

These materials, the commissioner explained, block the gutters and natural drainages, making it impossible for waters to flow through their natural channels. However, the Dr. Weli views the blocade of the drainages by the afore mentioned materials as a lesser problem to combat. According to him, instant removal of them could ease and rapidly too the flow of the waters through the natural channels.

He instead, condemned in strong terms the construction of permanent structures on water ways, which may well be described as a cause without a solution.

The commissioner who recounted knowing what is today called Stadium Road and GRA Phase 111 as streams, said our building pattern had been our greatest undoing. In his words, “we need to go back and do proper planning, and making sure that those structures that are blocking the natural waterways are removed so that when the rains fall, the water would take its course and drain into the ocean”. He added, “when that is done, we’ll look at other areas of awareness, either by putting additional man – made retainers where the waters would rain into or drainages that would connect to the natural drainages. The commissioner said that soon, efforts would be geared towards the dredging of the known waterways in the state metropolis, to help  ease the numerous problems of flooding residents are subjected to.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi