Flooding: Umahi Mulls Demolition Of More Buildings To Protect Coastal Highway, Communities

Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has hinted that more buildings may be demolished on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridors to tackle flooding and protect the road and the surrounding communities from heavy torrential rain.

Umahi said the move was part of the efforts to tackle persistent flooding in the affected communities on the Lagos-Calabar coastal route axis.

He said critical drainage infrastructure and flood-mitigation projects in the affected areas are expected to help tackle flooding.

The minister stated this yesterday during an inspection tour with critical stakeholders and Senate Committee on Works members, where he assessed the environmental impact of the flood that submerged communities on the highway corridors in Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

The minister identified the need for Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) control and flood control measures to save the state from the impending dangers of flooding and destruction of national infrastructure, while stating that the root cause of flooding in some parts of Lagos is due to old drainage blockages and illegal dumping of refuse in maintenance holes.

Umahi refuted claims that the Lagos-Calabar superhighway was responsible for flooding in parts of Lagos, even as he revealed that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was subjected to international scrutiny and, as such, followed rigorous engineering and construction practices.

Umahi blamed the submerged part of Lagos State on old drainage channels, illegal dumping of refuse, and not putting Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) control into consideration when developing estates, beachfront and residential buildings, while urging Lagos State government and the Ministry of Environment and flood control departments to provide flood infrastructure to save public infrastructure.

He insisted that the Lagos State government did not put ESIA control into consideration at the point of developing urban planning, while warning that the major cause of the Alpha Beach flood and the flooding of some parts of Lagos was linked to poor urban planning and no proper approvals with ESIA flood control measures to tackle the expected flood level of the location.

He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to address flooding in the country has saved the state from the human cost of controlling flooding in the submerged part of Lagos.

Umahi stressed that the coastal highway has helped combat floods by elevating federal highway roads above sea level, adding that such measures were carried out in accordance with the Environmental Social Impact Assessment Control, as was the case when the coastal highway was conceived.

Umahi stated that the Federal Government is delivering durable road infrastructure nationwide, even as he defends the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway against claims it caused recent flooding in Lagos and announced a joint technical assessment with the Lagos State Government to improve drainage.