By Victor Lewis
Against the backdrop of a recent alert by NiMet’s weather forecast that some states (including Delta) will be visited by flood this year, the Delta State government has proactively commenced measures to avert disaster whenever the flooding eventually begin.
Consequently, the government has mobilized the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC to collaborate with the State Ministry of Environment to embark on massive clearance of waterways, canals and clogged drains in the coastal and intra-city areas to forestall any likely disaster that may arise.
Delta State is one of the low-lying states in the Niger Delta areas that is prone to perennial flooding due to its location within a network of River Niger tributaries and estuaries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the yearly heavy rainfalls that characterize the coastal areas.
In the past one week, the oil Commission, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Environment, has deployed several heavy duty equipment and workers to different parts of the State including Warri, Effurun, Sapele, Jesse, Otu-Jeremi in Ughelli South, Ughelli North, Ndokwa East, and Ika South East to open up clogged waterways and clear blocked drains.
A joint inspection team of DESOPADEC led by Olorogun Barr. John Nani, chairman of the Commission, Chief Festus Ochonogor, Managing Director, and Olorogun Dr. Ebenezer Okorodudu, the Executive Director of Projects, yesterday 30th July, 2925, embarked on inspection of the various sites where work was ongoing.
At the Ajamimogha Link Road and Lower Erejuwa major natural canal that empties water from different parts of the oil city into the Warri river, amphibious excavators (aka swamp buggy) were seen clearing out hyacinths and de-silting the channel to allow free flow of water through to the main river.
Speaking to newsmen at the Upper Erejuwa clearing site, the DESOPADEC Chairman, Barr. John Nani stated that the Commission’s action was sequel to the directive of the State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to mobilize to site following the recent national flood alert released by the Nigerian Meteorological Service, NIMets, of imminent flooding in the coastal areas of the country.
Nani blamed the flooding in most parts of the oil city and environs, to the indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes into drains and the erection of illegal structures by irresponsible citizens, on natural waterways and canals, thus blocking the free-flow of water to the Warri River.
He warned against the unwholesome habit of indiscriminate dumping of waste into gutters and waterways as well as building of structures across canals, adding that when flood disaster takes place, the residents are the first and major victims to be affected.
Nani said it is not always that the state government will intervene to control the flooding that was caused by human activities, urging the residents to set up local task force committees to monitor the drains in their areas including regular cleaning to prevent clogging that inevitably causes blockages and flooding.
“You know full well that NiMets has announced the flooding forecast this year and Delta State is one of the states to be affected. What the state government did was to instruct Ministry of Environment to go round the State to see that the areas that are expected to be flooded to be deflooded.
“And he also called on DESOPADEC that we should come out and make sure that we put intervention in all the oil producing areas in Delta State. So, the working you are seeing now in Warri is going on simultaneously in other places. We are working in Warri here, working in Effurun, working in Udu, working in Ughelli, working in Sapele, in Jesse, in Kwale, Agbor, Umutu, Isoko – all the oil producing communities where we expect flooding could affect the people.
“So, what we are doing now is to ameliorate the suffering of those already affected because the flash flood is already here. We are also expecting that the coastal flood will come. So, the government will see what it can do about that also.
“The problem we have is the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the waterway. You can see now that what the swamp buggy is doing here now is to remove waste clogging the cells of the bridges and culverts. Once the cells of the bridges and culverts are blocked the water returns to the communities. So, we are now opening the clogs in the drainages and culverts which have been blocked.”
While advising residents to stop dumping refuse indiscrinately into drainages and water channels, Nani warned that the several environmental laws in the state were still operational, adding that the government would not hesitate to prosecute anyone caught dumping wastes into the drains.
“We are advising that people should stop the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the waterways. They should know that any flooding would affect them first. They should own these canals that is helping them deflood the area. So, I’m advising them to guide jealousy this canal.
“There are lots of laws – by-laws and State legislations that forbid them from indiscriminate dumping of waste in the drains and waterways. They know too well that they are not supposed to build on the waterways. There are a lot of persons that have been prosecuted by the Local Government and the Ministry of Environment”, Nani explained.
Responding to questions from newsmen, a resident of Okere road whose area has been deflooded by the DESOPADEC work team, Madam Lizzy Ukpebitere, expressed gratitude to the Commission as well as the Governor of the State, His Excellency, Rt. Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori, for the timely intervention to protect them from the flood disaster.
“”In 2022 when there was flooding here, the intervention team of the Ministry of Environment didn’t get here. Even last year, they didn’t get here. But when we cried this year, we were told that DESOPADEC will intervene. Since they came they have done a great job. The have clear both sides and even under the bridge which have been blocked. The canal water is now flowing well.
“On behalf of the residents of Okere Warri we thank DESOPADEC, we thank the governor”, she said.
The inspection team also visited a major canal along the Effurun-Sapele road by Ovie Palace junction in Effurun where the working team has succeeded in clearing one end of the canal and they were already mobilizing the swamp buggy machine to the other side of the road.
At Jesse, the inspection team visited the clearing of blocked drains by the main market where the Crown spokesman of Idjerhe kingdom, Uzzi Onosiadje Obriki, expressed satisfaction with the flood control and prevention in the area.
While commending Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori and the DESOPADEC team, Obriki who identified indiscriminate dumping of waste as a major factor for flooding, assured that the Council of chiefs will interact with the King of Idjerhe kingdom, HRM King Monday Whiskey and set up a task Force to monitor the disposal of refuse in the area.
The rounded up the inspection in Sapele where the clearance team was desilting a major canal across the New Road.
Swamp buggy in action at Lower Erejuwa, WarriChairman, John Nani (right) and MD, Ochonogor(left) strategizing
Chairman, John Nani (right) and MD, Ochonogor (left) strategizing
Opened up section of Effurun -Sapele road canal
Swamp buggy at work at New Road, Sapele
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