Flood: Edo To Demolish Buildings On Waterways

Edo State government plans to demolish buildings and other structures on waterways and flood channels to mitigate flooding across the state.

The government is also compiling the names of victims of the recent flood disasters for possible intervention.

The executive secretary of the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (EDOSEMA), Mr Jerry Idahosa, disclosed this during a media briefing in Benin City, the state capital.

He said the state government was intensifying proactive measures to minimise the impact of flooding during the rainy season.

Idahosa attributed the recurring flooding in many parts of the state to indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which blocked drainage channels, as well as the illegal construction of buildings on waterways and the historic Benin moats.

According to him, temporary camps have been designated to accommodate displaced persons in the event of severe flooding.

Idahosa identified Illushi in Esan South East local government area, Etsako Central and Etsako East as communities expected to experience heavy flooding based on available forecasts.

He further revealed that the agency had received the names of about 1,000 farmers whose farmlands and crops were destroyed by flooding. At the same time, 57 residents of Igarra were affected by recent flood incidents.

The EDOSEMA boss said residents of flood-prone communities had been sensitised to relocate to safer, higher ground as part of the preventive measures being implemented by the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

“Most of the issues we have discovered are blocked drainage caused by indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” he said.

He explained that EDOSEMA was collaborating with the Ministry of Environment and the Edo State Waste Management Board to enforce stricter sanctions against individuals responsible for indiscriminate waste disposal.

Idahosa added that the agency was also working with the Ministry of Physical Planning to identify structures illegally built on waterways and the Benin moats.

We have discovered that many of the moats have been filled up and sold for development. We are identifying such structures, and once they are marked, they will be demolished because these are designated waterways meant to channel floodwaters,” he stated.