The Lagos State Government has called on residents of the state to be prepared for heavier rainfall this year.
Already, the rains have started in January which is supposed to be dry season, a clear indication of what to expect during the year.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu told newsmen that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, had predicted heavier rainfall for Lagos this year.
“NIMET has informed us that there will be heavier rainfall in Lagos State this year but we are well prepared. We have changed the way we are now doing our roads,” he said.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the state government was ready for the rains as it had started mapping out strategies to ensure that disasters were mitigated during the rains.
“We have planned for eventuality. All our stakeholders are set for this year’s rainfall. Lagosians should not panic. The administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola is well prepared for the rains.,” he stated.
The LASEMA General Manager advised people living in flood-prone areas to relocate during the rainy season in order to avert disaster.
Oke-Osanyintolu also said that some areas that used to be flood-prone were no longer so since government put in place proper channelisation to mitigate the impact of flood.
He added that the state government, through the Ministry of the Environment was working assiduously to ensure that flooding was minimised this year.
“Lagosians should not panic and they should not dump refuse inside primary and secondary drainage channels. They should key into what the state government has put in place. Fashola’s administration is on top of the situation,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, has called on Lagosians to observe adequate sanitation in preparation for the rains. Bello stated that all hands must be on deck in preparing for a flood free Lagos as the rainy season is fast approaching, adding that the early rain experienced in the state was due to the change in climatic condition, as the usual period of rainfall is still between April and November.
According to him, “the rains we had in January did not mean that the rainy season has changed. The State Government has continued to forge ahead with its annual deflooding programme through regular clearing, dredging and lining of drainages and canals in the different parts of the State by the Ministry of the Environment.”
The commissioner assured Lagosians that the deflooding programme of the state government had started paying off, adding that the state did not record any incident of flooding during the early rains this January. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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