The Mudslide that raised questions

Mudslide is one of the most unpredictable disasters in the world. The unfortunate incident in Isheri,-Magodo Lagos drew our focus to the unpopular natural disaster.

Last week, a building located at Orisha Street, Isheri, Magodo caved in during a heavy rainfall. The building which was a bungalow collapsed when mudslides from the cleavage of a hill beside River Ogun besieged the three bedroom flat. Four persons were recovered dead.

According to a report on channelstv, the deceased were siblings from the same father and were between the ages of 10 and 23 years. Another mudslide fell on one single room building in the area but fortunately no one was trapped there

A mudslide/landslide occurs where there is movement of earth materials driven by gravity down a hillside or slope. This can occur as a result of water saturation, slope modifications and rainfall occurring after wildfire, and earthquakes.

Mudslides can occur at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions, and they can strike without any prior warning signs, making for a dangerous phenomenon.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, changes in groundwater levels, alternate freezing and thawing, and the steepening of slopes by erosion all contribute to mudslides.

Construction and reckless modification of land such as not draining an area properly before building on or near it can also create the conditions ripe for a mudslide.

Fires can also lead to mudslides because burning can kill the plants’ roots. Roots hold soil together, stabilizing the land and making it less likely to be swept away. In this way, overgrazing can also contribute to mudslides.

Because different areas of land have different soil compositions, as well as varying slopes and geographic characteristics, it is difficult to determine how prone a place is to mudslides and therefore near impossible to predict when one will hit.

The best way to reduce the effects of a mudslide and a landslide is avoiding erecting structures in Mud and landslide prone areas or selecting non-hillside or stable slope sites; constructing channels, drainage systems, retention structures, and deflection walls; planting ground-cover; and soil reinforcement using geosynthetic materials, and avoiding cut and fill building sites.

It is sad to note that some Nigerians live in disaster prone areas not because they have an affinity for disaster but because they are usually left with no choice as to where to go. The high population growth of major cities in Nigeria such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja doesn’t make living in desirable places a walk in the park either.

Invariably, the high rental value of residential properties, or is it economic housing shortage aligned with high rate of poverty in the country has forced people to build in high risk areas and not taking cognizance of the threats to housing construction projects and worse still loss of human life that may result when a natural disaster such as the one that occurred in Isheri comes knocking at the door.

Read also: Relocation as a last resort in the event of a disaster

Regardless of the inadequacies inherent in the standard of living for an average Nigerian, it is essential that the government charges the agencies involved in identifying the potential disaster prone areas and sensitizing the masses on the dangers of living in such areas.

Also, in order to achieve a less vulnerable city, there is need to provide a better construction plan for future buildings construction. The practice of taking action after a major disaster occurs should be vehemently frowned at.

Therefore, effective caution and improvement measures ought to be offered to areas like the one in Isheri on how buildings are and how they respond to landslide effects among other natural disasters.

Preventing people from living in harm’s way without providing them alternatives means telling them to roam the streets without a place to call home; that action is bound to attract a public outcry which the government may not be able to deal with

Landslides and mudslides are tricky disasters because they are less predictable than weather events like hurricanes. The economic hardship and housing situation in the country is paving way for more Nigerians to move into areas with slopes and areas that have ground failure and those places happen to be government owned lands.

The mudslide that led to the death of four children in Isheri following the collapse of a section of the building, could have been avoided if restraining barriers were erected at the toe of the slope where the mudslide occurred.

People should be prohibited or restrained from building along or close to sloppy areas or steep slopes if adequate measures cannot be taken to protect the inhabitants of such buildings in the cause of a disaster.

It is reported that damage caused by a mudslide can take days or even weeks to surface.