#Flooding: Take Ownership of Pen Cinema Flyover, LASG Charges Agege Community | AgegePulse Magazine

 

As part of efforts to address flash flooding around the newly constructed Agege Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge and other parts of the State, the Lagos State Government has called on residents of Agege community to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels.

Agege Pen Cinema Bridge

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent flash floods experienced at Oke-Koto and environs after a heavy downpour, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye noted that the flooding was caused by clogging in the main collector drain conduits along Capitol Road.

Noting that the Agege Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge was designed to eliminate the perennial traffic gridlocks across the intersections at Agege, Adeyoye said the adjoining roads were also constructed by the State Government with an adequate drainage system to mitigate the recurrence of flooding associated with the corridor.

She added that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels by the residents of Agege community was solely responsible for the severe clogging and siltation of the drains, thereby resulting in the flooding as experienced recently at Oke-Koto.

The Special Adviser warned residents to desist from the act of dumping refuse into the drains, stating that the Emergency Flood Abatement Gangs (EFAG) of the Ministry of The Environment and Water Resources have embarked on desilting of the drains to allow free flow of run-off/stormwater and prevent flooding on the carriageway.

Adeyoye said: “At the moment the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration is making efforts to reduce the number of bad roads in the State. A drive through the streets and highways of Lagos will reveal that roads had either been repaired or are being fixed across many locations as Government is making frantic efforts to provide infrastructural facilities that will ameliorate the suffering of the citizenry”.

“Any road is as good as its drains, once we clog the drains with refuse, we compromise the integrity of the pavement and overall riding surface. Therefore, as we continue to prepare for the rains, people must stop the various abuses on road transport infrastructure challenges associated with the rainy season”, she added.

Speaking further, the Special Adviser emphasised the need to ensure the sustainability of road assets and optimise the level-of-service outcome in return for the most cost-effective financial input, calling on community leaders to be actively involved in guiding against vandalism of public infrastructure.

“The State Government holds as premium the responsibility of strategic provision of road infrastructure across the State. Sustainability also requires we engage with the citizenry to register in their subconsciousness and seek their support in terms of taking ownership of the roads and to guide jealously these collective assets against misuse and abuse”, Adeyoye stated.

Flood: LASG Allays Fear of Residents Over Continuous Heavy Rainfall

. . . Releases Schedule of Water Releases From Oyan River Dam

AgegePulse

The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, allayed fears of residents on the continuous heavy downpour being experienced in the past few days, assuring that necessary measures are in place to effectively manage the flash floods resulting from the rain.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, gave the assurance at a Press Briefing in Alausa, while outlining measures already put in place for this year’s rainfall pattern, stating that additional heavy rains should be expected in July and September.

He urged all residents of low lying areas like Agboyi-Ketu, Ajegunle and several others to relocate from their residences, without further delay, to avoid being trapped by the rainfall at the risk of their lives and property.

The Commissioner also advised residents living along the plains of Ogun River to be on the alert and take necessary precautions as the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority, which manages the Oyan River Dam will soon commence the seasonal water releases, stressing that the controlled water discharge has become expedient as a result of weather forecasts and the continuous heavy downpour.

In his words: “In July, five million Cubic Meters (MCM) will be released while by August, they will release eight to 10 million cubic metres. In September, it will be increased to 18 million cubic metres while in October, 23 million cubic metres will be released which is the peak. Then by November gradual reduction of water release to the tube will be 11million cubic metres”.

Bello added that from the prediction of the Nigeria Meteorological Services, NIMET, released early in the year, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events indicated that the year 2020 will likely experience days with extremely high rainfall which may result in flooding.

He stated that the high volume of rainfall being experienced in June will run into July and September, urging Lagosians not to entertain fear because the State Government has mapped out strategies to contain flooding that may be experienced as a result of heavy rainfall.

“The State Government is presently working on 222 secondary channels out of which 146 have been completed across the State, just as 46 primary Channels are presently receiving attention, in addition to the efforts of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gangs (EFAG) that are being deployed around the State to undertake quick fix to free manholes or clogged up drains manually”, Bello stated.

The Commissioner assured members of the public, particularly residents of Aguda, Shomolu, Surulere, Oworonshoki and Idi-Oro, that contractors are already working on all the channels in the area, stating that cleaning usually starts from the lower stream to the upper stream and that the same applies in Aguda, where dredging is moving gradually towards all the areas adjoining LUTH Idi-Araba and Ishaga which are all parts of System 6c.

While stating that Idi-Oro and Olosha in Mushin are areas experiencing issues because of indiscriminate refuse dumping, the Commissioner assured that the Ministry is taking steps to tackle the problem of refuse dumping in the area so that the drainage channels can work effectively.

According to Bello, part of measures taken to dissuade residents from unhindered dumping of refuse was the recent arrest of eight people in Idi-Araba for throwing waste into the canal.

He disclosed that the government is in talks with Ogun State Government to identify a site that will complement the inadequate capacity of Olusosun dumpsite for joint management by both States, warning that the Ministry has empowered its environmental enforcement agents to arrest and prosecute sanitation offenders in Lagos.

Also speaking at the press briefing, the Special Adviser on Drainage and Water Resources, Engr. Joe Igbokwe said the issue of flooding was not only peculiar to Nigeria because other countries of the world also experience flooding during the rainy season.

He decried the situation where residents erect shanties on drainage setbacks, dump refuse indiscriminately, block drainage channels and constitute a nuisance to the neighbourhood, stressing that the government would embark on strict enforcement of the environmental laws against perpetrators.

Igbokwe urged Lagosians to embrace the waste to wealth initiative of the State where plastic bottles and Styrofoam can be sorted in exchange for a stipend, adding that in coming days, a commercially viable option would be found for styrofoams.

He also said that the State Government would not rest on its oars in ensuring that Lagosians inculcate the habit of regular maintenance of their immediate environment as doing so remains a collective responsibility.

The Special Adviser, thereafter, advised Lagosians to be safety conscious during this period and urged them to take some safety measures such as staying home during the rains except it is absolutely necessary, being conscious when driving, ensuring that vehicles are in good condition and resisting the urge to drive through flooded areas when it is difficult to ascertain the depth of the water.

Rail System: Adejare, Ogundimu seek NRC collaboration to curtail flooding in Agege

AgegePulse Magazine

Ogundimu, Adejare

A House of Representatives member, Rep. Dr. Samuel Adejare, has called for collaboration with the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to enlarge the drainage channels in Agege area of Lagos to prevent flooding.

Adejare, representing Agege Federal Constituency, told newsmen recently during a visit to the flood prone area Ajegunle in Agege.

He said that the ongoing construction of new Lagos–Ibadan Standard gauge line had exposed the community to high risk of flooding during rainfall.


“We are going to collaborate with NRC to ensure that the drainage channel here is enlarge to accommodate the high flow of water during rainfall.

“This is a Federal Government project, which will affect all of us positively; at the same time, government will not allow flooding to happen in any community and that is why we are here to ensure that we do the needful.

“I will also advise the community to ensure they bag their waste properly for proper passage of water during the rainy season.

“If residents are dumping their refuses in the drainage channels, it affects the free flow of water, which resort to flooding.

“Efforts will be put in place to ensure the narrow drainage channel is enlarge to contain full force of water coming from the other side,” he said.

Earlier, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, appealed to the NRC and Federal Government to do rectification of the drainage channel before rainy season.

Ogundimu, Agege Constituency 2, said that the drainage channels constructed by the contractor handling the rail line was too small to accommodate the high flow of rain water.

“We want the NRC to come and do rectification in Agege Community; the drainage channel provided by the contractor is too small.

”This is a ‘Save Our Soul’ message to the government so that our people will not perish here.

”Now, we have foreseen this problem before occurrence, that is why we are calling on those who are concern to be proactive in solving the problem,” he said.

Recall, AgegePulse Magazine earlier reported that members of Ajegunle Community in Agege Local Government Area of the state had complained that the ongoing construction work would exposed the community to flooding.

Commenting, Mr Julius Ekemode, a Leader in Ajegunle Agege Community, said that the area was prone to flooding due to the construction of the new rail lines.

Ekemode urged the Federal Government and the NRC to come to the rescue of the community and build a canal in the community.

”We are sending an SOS message to government to take proactive measure to prevent the looming disaster as a result of flooding in this community.

”Rail line is good for the society, no doubt about it, but our community is in danger of flooding when the rain starts.

”With the little rains we have experienced here in January, for just about 30 minutes, everywhere was flooded.

”It was terrible, just imagine what will happen when the rains starts properly.

“The community is now appealing to the government and the NRC to come to our aid and build a canal for us that will withstand the full force of the water during the downpour.

“With the high rise of the rail line, compared to buildings in our community, it is like we are now in the valley which exposes us to flooding whenever it rains,” he said.