Maduako Igbokwe I Friday, May 5, 2023
ONITSHA, Anambra – About 8,000 buildings have been saved from imminent collapse and flooding following the dredging and desilting of the Sakamori and Nwangene river in Onitsha commercial town.
Buildings that are located on the fringe of the water and sewages are saved from being submerged from perennial flood.
National Emergency Management Agency NEMA had earlier warned owners of the buildings about the imminent submerging of their property by flood. Some of the buildings’. Foundation of some of the buildings are already affected.
NEMA had earlier in the year raised the alarm about the impending flood disaster, advising residents in the affected area to relocate to safe areas or desilt and dredge the sewage canals.
According to Anambra state Deputy Governor Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim who is also the Chairman Flood Mitigation Committee , several buildings have been saved by this activities and the number could be over 8,000 including areas that have nucleated settlements.
“What we are doing now is to take proactive measures ahead of the impending flooding according to the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA and today you can see a free flow of sewage and we have cleared mountain of refuse dumps that have been blocking the canals and drains ”
“So far the areas include the Sakamori that is being dredged as well as the Federal Housing Estate and the Creek road , Ochanja linking Nwangene discharging into the River Niger”
“We have also done a similar thing at the Premier Brewery and the Porthacourt road and the other side towards the church owned by one Odumeje ” he said.
He lamented that one of the causes of flooding in Onitsha and the River line communities are due to human activities in the area.
“It is a fact that Anambra is always affected by the perennial flooding but if the canals and water ways are not blocked by refuse produced by the residents of the area the effects would be minimized drastically”
“So it also behooves on the people in those areas to ensure effective disposal of refuse and clearing of the drains for free flow of water”
“The Ministry of Environment has been on top of it all by providing vehicles for the evacuation of refuse; those occupying the housing units should endeavor to synergy with the ministry of Environment in that regard” he said.
