States urged to pull down structures erected on waterways

New Telegraph reports that the federal government, yesterday, urged state governments to pull down structures erected on waterways to prevent flood disasters in their areas.

New Telegraph reports that, a Director of Engineering Hydrology at the Nigeria Hydrological Services (NIHS) Abuja, Clement Nze, gave the order during sensitisation workshop in Abakaliki on ways to prevent flood.

Nze called on those living in flood prone areas to vacate the areas to avoid being swept by the disaster when it occurs.

He said: “We are here in Ebonyi State which is what we call hydrological area 7. Unfortunately, our coming here is a little bit late, but we still feel it is necessary to let them know about the dangers of flooding caused mainly by human activities.

“When people build around water ways, it causes flood. Big men when they acquire two plots of land adjacent to a river, they extend their structures within the river bank, where the river supposed to flow, and it causes flooding. Once there is heavy rainfall, water must find its level, and it has the tendency to pull down the structures built around the water ways.”

Source: New Telegraph