The Oyo State government has threatened to pull down structures on waterways around riverbanks and streams across the state.
Commissioner for environment and water resources, Mr. Isaac Ishola who briefed journalists on Tuesday said all the efforts put in place by the state government to militate against flooding were jeopardised by property owners who erected structures around riverbank and stream sides.
Aside from structures, the commissioner said despite government campaign on environmental waste management, many residents still found joy in dumping refuse inside rivers and streams anytime it rained.
Giving a situational assessment of places visited by a monitoring team of the ministry in conjunction with officials of Ibadan Urban Flood Management Agency, Ishola said although no loss of life was recorded in places visited, he said the government had anticipated heavy downpour and started dreging of rivers and streams since December last year.
Some of the places visited by the monitoring team on the heels of the heavy downpour that started early Tuesday morning include, Olodo, Kute, Eleyele, Onipepeye, Oki, Orogun and Ariyo, all within the Ibadan metropolis.
According to Ishola, part of the effort embarked upon by the government was the identification of flood prone areas, which necessitated 48 rivers being forwarded to the World Bank for assistance, out of which 36 were approved.
He called on the people to complement government activities as it seeks to find a lasting solution to the problems of flooding in the state.
Similarly, the State House of Assembly at Tuesday’s plenary bemoaned the flooding in some areas of the state capital.
It ordered the Ministry of Environment, Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) and fire brigade to salvage the situation.
The flood which wrecked havoc in some areas in the state capital where activities were paralyzed occurred following a heavy downpour that started Tuesday’s mid-night till dawn.
The directive followed the matter of public importance raised by Hon. Joshua Olagunju, representing Oriire State Constituency on his harrowing experience occasioned by the flood at Olodo areas of the state, on his way to the Assembly for the day’s business.
In his motion, Hon. Fatai Adesina from Ibadan South East 1 State Constituency said the flood was not only limited to Olodo area of Ibadan but in other places such as Sawmill river bank and the Old Ife axis, which he said, disturbed movement of commuters and other business activities.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Michael Adeyemo, therefore, ordered the state Ministry of Environment, the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) and fire service to take proactive measures on the heavy downpour in Ibadan and across the state.
He also directed the committee on environment to take up the matter, investigate it and come back with report for further deliberations.
Kommentarer