Flood: NESREA Urges Residents To Take Proactive Measures

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), has called on residents of the North-East region of the country to take proactive measures that would help them to mitigate the impact of flooding in their communities.
Mr Charles Sharah, the North-East Zonal Director of NESREA, made the call in an interview with The Tide source in Gombe.
Sharah said that the issue of flooding is not new as it had become a yearly occurrence, hence, the need for collective efforts aimed at minimising the impact, so as to safeguard the environment and prevent loss of lives.
He stated that though flooding could occur naturally due to high volume of water, human activities could  also contribute to flooding and “this can be prevented to ensure that our environment is not polluted.’’
Sharah said that most residents often ignore warnings and their responsibilities toward protecting the environment, only to complain of flooding when it occurs.
He added that the devastating impact of flooding had made residents to avoid activities that could contribute to the menace such as: dumping wastes in gullies, building on water ways and indiscriminate sand dredging.
“It is part of our mandate to give advice to residents as well as create awareness on issues relating to the environment. This is why we are calling on residents not to live or build in flood-prone areas.”
According to him, it is better to be proactive on issues that concern the environment by ensuring that water channels are not blocked because “when the rains come, flowing water always finds  and knows its route.’’
He said that the issue of ignorance on what is expected of residents should no longer be taken as an excuse in view of the yearly sensitisation and flood alerts from relevant stakeholders.
Sharah said that deliberate ignorance of warnings on the effect of flooding when it occurs would not be tolerated due to its damage to the agricultural sector and the economy.
He commended the governors of the north-eastern states of the country for initiating and implementing tree-planting programmes to afforest the environment and mitigate the adverse effects of environmental degradation.