RSG Blames Flooding On Dumping Of Refuse

The Rivers State Government, says dumping of refuse in drainages is a major cause of flooding in Port Harcourt.

The State Commissioner for Works, Hon. Victor Giadom who stated this while briefing newsmen in his office recently said residents of Port Harcourt dumped refuse indistrimately in the gutters and drainages without any consideration for the huge sums of money spent by the Government to construct the drainages and warned that the obnoxious practice must stop forthwith.

According to him, “many people dispose their household refuse by dumping them into the gutters during rainfalls and the hard material contents of the refuse blocked the drainages, thereby making it difficult for free-flow of water through them”.

He observed that even some of the newly constructed roads are flooded after rains due to the refuse dumped on the roads, stating that the floods subsides few hours later after rains, indicating that the refuse in the gutters could not allow for immediate flow of water.

The Commissioner condemned the habit saying, “I wonder why people living in Port Harcourt take delight in sabotaging the effort of Government by blocking the drainages (gutters) with their household refuse, especially when it rains. They do not even think of the huge sum of money spent by government in constructing the drainages”.

He pointed out that Mile One and Mile three along Ikwerre Road were areas that were often flooded when it rains but subsides few hours after due to refuse dumped into the drainages.

Collins Barasimeye