Quit Wetlands Now, Lagos Tells Residents

Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello

• States to get 275 days of rainfall

By Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government has released the details of the 2013 seasonal rainfall prediction, and put the number of days the state will experience in 2013 alone at 275.

Consequently, the state government urged all the residents of the state to relocate from the wetland and flood plain due to massive flooding the imminent rainfall would bring about.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who disclosed this at the weekend at a news conference in Alausa, also said there would be massive thunderstorms in 2013.

Bello, who addressed the conference alongside the Special Adviser on the Environment, Dr. Taofeek Folami, Permanent Secretary (Office of Drainage Services), Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya and his colleague in charge of environmental services, Mr. Adebola Afun among others, linked the state report to the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), which he said, had predicted heavy downpour in Lagos State.

He said the state government has adopted measures to mitigate the impact of the expected flood.

He said the NIMET “has been predicted that rainfall will commence in Lagos between the first and second week in March with a margin of error of three days as probable dates for 2013 rainy season.

This prediction is being confirmed with the rains that came in torrents on Saturday/Sunday 1-2 March, 2013 as well as 4 Monday, 2013 respectively.”

He explained that the agency also predicted that the end of season for year 2013 rainfall is 17 December, 2013, with a margin error of four days, which is between 13 and 21 December, 2013 as probable days.

“From the year 2013 seasonal rainfall predictions, Lagos State shall experience a rainy season of about 249-275 days with intermittent stoppage in February and August.

The magnitude of Lagos seasonal rainfall prediction for this year is that Lagos will experience heavy rainfall of high intensity, with thunderstorms just like last year.

“Lagos is expected to record 1,722mm with marginal error of between 21 and 179mm, adding that thunderstorms had also been predicted to occur during the raining period of June, July, August, September and October,” the commissioner explained.

Bello also warned residents in wetlands and flood plains across the state in areas like Agiliti, Owode Onirin, Ajegunle, Aboru, Badiya, Arowojobe in Maryland, Elede, Iwaya, parts of Ketu, some areas in Ikorodu, some parts of Eti-Osa, among others to relocate in the aftermath of heavy downpour which may affect them drastically.

Bello urged residents living in flood-prone areas “to relocate in order to avert disasters. I strongly advise Lagos residents who reside within the wetlands along the flood plain areas as well as those near the Lagoon to always be on the alert and ready to relocate whenever there is rain of high intensity, because they are likely to be affected. We shall as usual notify such residents at the appropriate time”.
He appealed to residents “to desist from acts that could lead to flooding, such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorized places like drains and canals as well as evacuate all silted drains around their homes and premises.

Illegal building of structures on drainage alignments, road setbacks and verges remain prohibited. We should not patronize cart pushers who will end up dumping the waste inside canals”.

He added that Lagosians should report cases of drainage blockages, dumping of waste in canals and other unauthorised places to government’s residents’ engineers in their domains.

He added that within the available resources to government, it would strive to take adequate measures to ensure that “we are able to cope with this year’s rain as we did last year. We also wish to allay the fears of our people by telling them not to panic anytime it rains.