The Lagos State Government has assured that the ongoing clearing and dredging of all drainage channels across the state to prevent flooding will continue till September.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday in Lagos, Commissioner for the Environment & Water Resources (MOE&WR) Tunji Bello made the disclosure during the inspection tour of all the ongoing drainage projects in the State on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to him, the cleaning was designed to ensure that water flows through the drainage channels unhindered all year.
Bello, who was accompanied by Special Adviser on Drainage and Water Resources Joe Igbokwe, Permanent Secretary Olalekan Shodeinde and other senior officials in the ministry, reiterated that the present administration was committed to proffer lasting solution to the issue of flooding across the state.
He explained that special attention was being paid to heavily clogged-up drains throughout the state, which have aided flooding of such areas.
“I will like to appeal to all residents to take good care of these canals and drains as the government is cleaning them, kindly take ownership and desist from encroaching canals and drains’ right of way.
“Some of the areas visited today include: Yaya Abatan drainage channel by Ajobo Street, Road collector drain/Alamutu Collector (Fagba-Gudugba), Ajuwon River by Iju/Ajuwon Bridge, Ilo River Upstream (by Toll Gate, Ifako Ijaiye).
“Others are Pipeline collector Drain Idimu, Irepodun collector Drain Idimu, IPI/Ikotun Channel by Ikotun, Abeokuta Anjorin Channel/ Egbe Stream by Egbe Bridge, Guinness Idi Mangoro collector drain Agege and Oko-Oba Channel.
“The Iju Road collector drain/Alamutu collector (Fagba-Gudugba) should be revisited with extra dredging and all illegal structures constructed on the alignment be removed,” Bello said.
He explained that the on-going clearing of Ajuwon River by Iju/Ajuwon bBridge was necessary, in order to link up with Yaya Abatan Drainage channel by Ajobo Street for free-flow of water, adding that the saw mill erected on the canal would have to give way.
The chairman of Ilo Awela Community Development Association in Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Emmanuel Ajayi expressed great appreciation to the government for the clearing of Ilo River Upstream (by Toll Gate, Ifako Ijaiye).
Ajayi said that residents already had committee in place to monitor the drains against refuse dumping.
He concurred that, since the project commenced, residents no longer experienced flooding, accompanied by loss of lives and property, as was once the case.
