Be calm, Lagos assures residents on flooding

Lagos State Government has advised residents to remain calm whenever it rains occasioning a rise in the level of water.

It says the water is merely flash flood recorded during the rains, which will only be temporary and will disappear as soon as the rain stops.

The government added that it had invested a lot in clearing primary and secondary drainage channels across the state in preparation for this year’s rains, and as such, did not expect any flooding.

Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said this on Saturday while monitoring the cleaning programme in Lagos Island, Mainland and Victoria Island areas.

Bello said, “The government will sustain its year-round maintenance and cleaning programmes to ensure that our major canals and channels are kept clean to allow free flow and discharge of storm water whenever it rains.

“The government had earlier alerted Lagosians earlier in the year to the possibility of rains of high intensity with accompanied thunderstorms. As a responsible and proactive government, we have put in place deliberate preventive plans and programmes to ensure that the incidence of flooding is reduced to the barest minimum.

“Lagosians who reside along the coast lines, lagoons, low line areas like Kuramo Beach, Alpha Beach, Okun Mapo, Owode Elede, Ikorodu, Badia, ijora, Ajegunle should relocate when there is intensity of the rains. Lagos State is not ready for any casualty during the rainy period.”

The commissioner further advised residents to relate more with resident engineers and drainage maintenance officers in their areas to meet unexpected flooding challenges.

He urged the general public to desist from dumping waste into canals or building along drainage paths.

He explained that whatever was dumped along drainage path would aid flooding.