Lagos State government on Sunday alerted the public to an impending heavy rainfall in September and October, warning the residents to be wary of possible flooding in some parts of the state.
Tunji Bello, the state commissioner for environment and water resources, who stated this at a session with journalists, relied on the earlier forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Service (NIMET) that Lagos would experience 240-270 days of rainfall this year.
The expected heavy rainfall, according to Bello, would be aggravated by the release of 18 million cubic litres of water in September and 23 million cubic liters in October from the Ogun-Osun River with Lagos bearing the brunt.
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“We have already gone through June, July and now in August, but more rainfall is expected in September. According to the data provided by the Nigerian Hydrological Services (NHS), the month of June is usually the period of effective rainfall and the beginning of a new hydrological year, the River Niger Basin which covers nine countries such as Benin, Burkina Fasso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote-D’Voire, Guiness, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.
“Nigeria is downstream of all the Basin. The months of July, August, September and October are also known as JOSA months, signifying heavy rainfall, flooding and flood disasters in most parts of the country.
“The floods are often aggravated by the trains boundary inflow of River Niger and Benue from outside the country before they empty into the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria,” Bello said.
He noted that states like Ogun, Kwara, Rivers and Lagos experienced heavy rainfall which led to flooding, adding that while the above states suffered from urban and river flooding, Lagos was at the receiving end due to its peculiarities of its location.
The commissioner said that statistics released by authorities of Oyan Dam indicated that residents of Kosofe, Ajegunle, Owode Onirin, Isheri North, Agboyi Ketu, Giliti all in Lagos, should be at alert whenever it rains and water released from the dam.
He noted, however, that the state government would intensify the dredging of canals and channels and warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways.
Bello also sympathised with residents who lost their loved ones and property in the heavy rainfalls of the past months.
He disclosed that the government has provided additional pumping stations in some low lying areas with risks of high intensity rains in readiness for the heavy rainfall predicted in September.
“The government is presently working on over 222 secondary channels out of which over 80 per cent are in various stages of completion. Also 46 primary channels are receiving attention presently.”
Bello assured the residents of areas like Aguda, Shomolu, Surulere, Oworonskoki and Idi Oro complaining of not feeling the presence of government in terms of clearing of canals that their areas would be reached.
“It is important to note that for coastal city like Lagos, once it rains consistently for a minimum of eight hours, we are bound to have flash flood caused by increasing inability of high rise of the Lagoon which brought about a rise of the ocean water,” he said, but added that the drainages have been dredged to allow for better of storm waters.
