By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The Anambra State Flood Mitigation Committee has rescued over 8,000 buildings from imminent collapse following the dredging and distilling of the Sakamori and Nwangene river in Onitsha.
Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim and Chairman of the Flood Mitigation Committee, said that several buildings have been saved by the dredging and desilting activities and the number could be over 8,000 including areas that have nucleated settlements.
Speaking on the steps taken by the committee to save the buildings, Dr. Ibezim pointed out that, “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”.
The rescued buildings are mostly located at the fringe of the water ways and and sewage canals.
They were to be affected by the warnings of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and were already submerged by sewage which threatened their foundations.
Recall that NEMA had earlier this year raised alarm over the impending flood disaster this year and advised residents in the affected areas to make sustained efforts at either relocating to safe areas or distilling and dredging the sewage canals.
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The Deputy Governor explai Ed that, “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”.
According to him, “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”.
Ibezim decried that one of the causes of flooding in Onitsha and the Riverine communities is human activities of the residents of the areas.
“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,” he stated.
“So it also behoves on the people in those areas to ensure effective disposal of refuse and clearing of the drains for free flow of sewage”
“The Ministry of Environment has been on top of it all by providing vehicles for the evacuation of refuse and the housing units should endeavor to synergy with the ministry of Environment in that regard” he added.
