• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Anambra has over 1,000 gully erosion sites – commissioner

Erosion-Awka

The Anambra State government says that the more than 1,000 active erosion sites scattered across the state have become major natural disaster, as raining season is about to set in.

Marcel Ifejiofor, commissioner for works, made this known to newsmen on Sunday in Awka, saying the Federal High Court complex in Awka was one of such facilities under serious gully erosion threat and faced imminent collapse.

Consequently, the state government had inaugurated an Erosion Design Review Committee to tackle the problem.

According to Ifejiofor, findings by government have also shown that most of the gully erosion sites were caused by wrong channelling of water.

Ifejiofor regretted that some people in the state intentionally build on water channels, which resulted in blockage of water flow.
“I want to visit Sakamori Drain linking water to Idemili River around Onitsha because I got a report that the drain was blocked,” he said.

The commissioner said the state government was worried about the rate at which some people ignored advice on ways to check the menace of erosion.

He added that wrong channelling of water caused damage on roads, and causing government to spend huge money for the recovery of such roads.

On frequent road accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles in recent time in the state, he said plans were on to construct bumps in some locations along some roads across the state.

He said that the state government would likely create special roads for heavy-duty vehicles in the major towns, to check accidents.
The works commissioner urged the people to support the Willie Obiana’s government by being responsive.