Flood occasioned by weeks of heavy downpour has crippled economic activities in Asaba and its environs in Delta State. Only businesses on Summit Road, Nnebisi Road and Ibusa Road were spared as other roads and streets in the metropolis have remained flooded.

Okpanam Road, which leads to the Governor’s Lodge, Government House, House of Assembly, Police Command headquarters and legislators’ quarters, to Cable Point market, Building Materials market on Asaba-Onitsha expressway and other businesses were not spared by the flood.

The situation is the same on DLA road, Umuagwu, Zappa and in-land town areas as the flood has forced many shops to close down while those that managed to open had no patronage.

At the main market in the city, Ogbeogonogo, part of it is often flooded, a situation that has forced some traders to take refuge in shops of their “fortunate” colleagues where they are squatting for a fee.

Some of the traders lamented that the flood had destroyed their goods while some complained that their locations had been made inaccessible due to the flooding in most parts of the city.

Mr Ubaka Chijindu, a cement and wood dealer at the building materials market, said that for the more than 15 years he had been in business in the Delta capital, he had never experienced flooding as he had this year.

Chijindu said that his stock of wood was also affected by the flood, adding that it was often difficult to salvage any item “because most of the times, the rain falls in the night and even in the day, it is also usually very heavy.’’

At the Cable Point market, most traders, especially those operating in open shops, have been sacked by the flood, making activities at the market very low.

One of the traders at the market, Mrs Susan Okwara, said her tomatoes and pepper business had suffered much setback as a result of the situation in the market.

She noted that there was no

Another trader, Eunice Abraham, said that she had been suffering losses to flood in her provisions business but that the worst experience was on Wednesday, when almost her entire stock was swept away.

She appealed to the state government to urgently tackle the flood problem, saying that it had also sacked many people from their homes.

Emeka Ani, a second-hand clothes and shoes dealer in Umuagwu area, described the flood situation in the town as “a big menace” which had affected many businesses and homes.

He wondered what the government was doing to mitigate the situation, saying: “at times, I imagine if family members of people in government do not go to the markets or see the situation.