The Ogun State Government has alerted residents of the wetland areas to relocate to safer ground before the rain commences fully, warning against imminent flooding as rain gets momentum for heavy downpour in due course.
Penpushing reports that Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya gave the alert and warning notice on Tuesday at a press conference in conjunction with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) held at Olusegun Osoba Press Center, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.
The Commissioner explained that the rain according to the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) would commence from March and end in December, 2024 with an average rainy period of 239 days and an average precipitation of 1786.5mm, affecting sixteen out of the twenty local government areas of the state.
Penpushing further reports that Oresanya, emphasized that local government areas that would experience the lowest rainfall include Imeko-Afon, Odeda, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South, noting that people who are located in the hilly areas are going to experience erosion as a result of the speed of the water, however, called for calm as the state government is putting measures in place to cushion the effects of the expected heavy rainfall.
“It is either you relocate from the area or you elevate; may be you want to reconstruct your house or do some kind of elevation if you must stay in that area. Every year, we talk about relocation. It is not easy to relocate. If you must leave in those areas, make sure that your electronics, your chairs, whatever can be damaged is being elevated”, he stated.
“When we talk about relocation and elevation, it is going to be predominantly around this area. People leaving within the wetland of the state are supposed to prepare for this increase in the height of the water because we are going to have a retention of this lockdown around this period”,Oresanya added
“So, people who are located in the hill areas are going to have some kind of erosion because of the speed the water will take in running down around the Ilaro area and some areas in Ota. We are going to have what we call erosion that is going to accompany this kind of flooding for the year”, he said.
“The other areas that we will have the impact which is later on are people that are leaving within the wetland of the state and the wetland area are predominantly Southern parts of the state and this are almost flat land, low line land because this are the border towns between Lagos and Ogun State’, the Commissioner stressed
Penpushing also reports that Oresanya assured that the state government is set to complement its various efforts at addressing the menace of flooding with the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini-bridges/culverts and the desilting and clearing of 56.150m length of river across the state.
“The state government wish to complement its efforts in addressing the menace of flooding by the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini bridges/culverts, desilt and clear 56.159m length of river/stream courses and desilt 40,000m length of drainage channels across the three senatorial districts of the state”, he emphasised.
“Some of the areas includes construction of drainage channels and culverts at Wesley Primary School, Ijebu-Ode; reconstruction of dilapidated culvert at Saje Dumpsite road; Apakila (Abeokuta); Igbosoro (Ogijo, Sagamu), Imasai, desilting of rivers/stream courses at Yemile (Ijebu-Ode); Sensen river (Sagamu), Onibuku (Ota); Odo-funfun (Oja-Odan), Opa Aro (Isheri), Sokori river and tributaries while desilting of drainages channel will take place at Abeokuta, Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ota among others,” he said
Penpushing reports that commissioner, who noted that the length of the raining season for the coastal areas ranges between 250 to 292 days while that of inland areas is between 200 to 250 days, encouraged farmers to start planting, and equally urged fish farmers to harvest before the peak of the raining season in July as he also advised poultry farmers against stocking density during the period, which started two months back.
The commissioner in the same vein called on the people of the state to apply for drainage permit before constructing their drainages, explaining that this would ensure that drainages have the right elevation for the passage of water, adding that drainage permit will guide residents against building on flood plains and wetlands unknowingly during the dry season.
Penpushing further reports that the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA; Engr. Olufemi Odumosu in his remarks said that the agency has been holistic while focusing on the structural measures for flood control.
The Chairman pointed out that Oyan Dam has been responsible for the supply of bulk water to Ogun and Lagos states, irrigation infrastructure for agriculture, flood control, hydro power generation potentials, researches and transportation as well as tourism which he said is et to be fully tapped.
Penpushing also reports that Odumosu mulled the need for a collaboration between Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) and the Ogun State government in the area of tourism, saying that the partnership would help to generate more revenue.
