‘Yearly Flood Disaster Surmountable’

Some Real Estate Developers say the increased rate of
flooding in many parts of the country is surmountable, after all.

The experts, who spoke with our correspondent  in separate interviews in Lagos, also said
the high casualties and destruction of property by flood could be managed by
effective structural planning of cities and settlements.

Mr Akomolafe Ademola, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian
Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Lagos State Branch, said that there was need to
urgently address poor drainage system and unstructured constructions
nationwide.

He said that the flooding was compounded by the blockage of
the few poorly constructed drainage and water channels.

Ademola said that effective management of the existing
habitat by building professionals would assist in checking the nation’s flood
tragedy.

According to him, water may look mild but can be destructive
if a large body of water fails to find its natural course.

“When you talk of a layout, it means anything or area that
is designed.

“But when people come in and start altering the design, by
building on a drainage path or building very close to the canal, it naturally
obstructs the free flow of water and the result will be flooding.”

Mr Afolabi Solesi, the NIS Chairman, urged government to
enact a law that would make it compulsory for surveyors to be involved in all
constructions nationwide.

He said that professionals’ mandatory involvement would not
only check unstructured constructions but assist in enforcing the national
building code.

Solesi said that flood disasters remained a challenge to the
professionals in the building industry, pointing out the need for the
government to task them and assign the responsibility of re-mapping Nigeria to
the NIS.

“The government should bring everybody involved in the
building industry; that is surveyors, the civil engineers, the architects, the
town planners, the quantity surveyors, among others, in finding a lasting
solution to the national danger posed by flooding.

“As professionals, we believe that the danger can be
contained if we collaborate and tackle the problem from a national
perspective.”