That NIMET Alert On Floods

The National Meteorological Agency (NIMET) early this year posted a weather report where it forecasted very heavy rains in some parts of Nigeria. It actually warned six coastal states, including Rivers of the possibility of devastating floods.

Expectedly, the Rivers State Government took the forecast seriously and actually built bigger and better drains, linked some areas to main drains, appointed consultants, to advise and to de-silt some natural drains among others, but the phenomenon of flooding does not appear to have abated in Port Harcourt.

As the rains become more frequent and intense, residents easily come under floods.  Some of the new roads like Ikwerre Road floods at the slightest rain, while parts of Ada George Road and D-Line fall under flood  in spite of steps already taken.  This should worry the authorities because it appears the rains are only beginning.

We think that there is something the experts have not told us or there are missing links in the plan to rid Port Harcourt of floods.  Even so, it appears there are also steps that both the government and residents have failed to take that are capable of changing the trend.

The Tide thinks that whatever is needed to be done in this respect must not be delayed because of the danger of flooding. In some cases, flooding does not only render people temporarily homeless, it threatens the stability of some buildings. It also redistributes infections and dangerous materials.

Every year, floods result in casualties, some very heartbreaking.  According to records, 2.2 million people were affected by flood in Africa, while 500 died in 2010.  Out of that figure, Nigeria recorded the highest casualties with 118 deaths.  52 died in Ghana, while 43 died in Benin Republic.  This does not include the number of houses, property and crops lost, nor the number of roads and bridges destroyed.

That is why we expect government to go back to the drawing board.  The Ministry of Works and that of Environment and their consultants need to make joint physical inspections with a view to finding immediate solutions to flooding in parts of Port Harcourt. They also need to redouble efforts at de-silting drainages and ensuring that gutters don’t run to dead ends.

While that is on, the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and the fire stations in the state must be put on alert.  Similarly, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Health must collaborate and sensitise the people on roles expected of them to avert emergencies and/or know what to do at emergencies that flooding can bring.

It is a shame that some residents of Port Harcourt still empty their dustbins into gutters, especially, during rains.  These garbage clog the drains and cause flooding in many neighbourhood with fellow residents failing to either caution or report such persons to the authorities.

It is even more troubling that some new properties are being developed without  drains whatsoever.  Hence, surface water find no path to follow. Of course, the result is flooding. But some people have gutters that do not flow – and are stagnant with green matters, decaying rats, etc.

But more worrisome is the failure of some officials of the Environmental Sanitation Authority and the Ministry of Environment to act on petitions against dangerous environmental practices.  Like the nuisance in the Oromenike Estate in D-Line, officials have severally failed to act for not being “mobilised”.

This cannot be allowed to continue if the state would not lose to the rain, all the developmental projects it has put in place.  If structures built across water paths are not removed and drainages properly serviced, so much can be endangered including the multi-million naira roads just built.

Indeed, the time has come for government to order that every house must provide and service their gutters within a period to be decided.  To ensure compliance, public health officers and law enforcement agents should be used to ensure that flooding finds no foothold in Port Harcourt.

This has become imperative to avoid the repeat of the kind of flooding that devastated parts of Lagos recently.  The attendant desperate moves adopted would have been avoided if they anticipated the situation and did something as we are suggesting now.

Because the consequence of persistent flooding can be overwhelming, all hands, including those of the private sector must be on deck. As responsible corporate citizens, we expect that they would volunteer the expertise, machinery and manpower to begin the battle against flooding alongside the state from today.