Rainfall: Lagos Urges Residents to Quit Flood Prone Areas

The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment has urged residents of flood prone areas in the state to seek alternative accommodation as the rainy season approaches. The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, made the call at a press briefing to announce the 2013 seasonal rainfall prediction and its socio-economic implication for the state on Friday.

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He said the rainfall for the state this year would be heavy with high intensity and heavy thunderstorms predicted to occur from June to October.

Bello said, “Like other coastal cities, Lagos is prone to flooding and the government will achieve more success in controlling the floods with the collaborative efforts of residents. For those who live in low-lying areas, there is little or nothing anyone can do.

“The most important decision will be to quit; there should be plans for relocation, especially for those who live in parts of Ikorodu, Ketu, Maryland and other flood-prone areas.”

Speaking on the prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Bello said rainfall would commence in Lagos between the first and second week of March and end by December 17.

He said there would be a margin of error of three days as probable onset dates for this year’s rainy season and a margin of error of four days for the end, which would be between December 13 and 21.

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Lagos is expected to experience a rainy season of between 249 and 275 days with intermittent stoppages in August, according to the commissioner.

“This prediction is further confirmed with the rains, which have come in torrents on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2, 2013, as well as Monday 4, respectively. Lagos is expected to record rain intensity of 1722mm with marginal error of between 21 and 179mm,” he said.

Bello appealed to residents to desist from acts that could lead to flooding such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse in canals and drains.

He said silted drains around homes should be evacuated and illegal building of structures on drainage alignments, road setbacks and verges should be avoided.

The commissioner also advised residents not to panic whenever it rained as the ministry had put measures in place to control flooding whenever it occurred and reduce its occurrences to the barest minimum.

He said, “I wish to appeal to our people to complement the state government’s efforts through regular clearing of drains in their frontages to facilitate the free flow of storm water, as well as desist from dumping solid waste into canals.

“We implore our Community Development Associations and resident associations to take advantage of the presence of our engineers in their localities to effectively relate with them in order to attend to flood-related challenges across the state.”

Source: THE PUNCH