Ondo deploys drainage-clearing equipment, warns against indiscriminate waste disposal
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Government has intensified measures to tackle flooding by deploying heavy equipment to vulnerable communities, warning residents against dumping refuse into waterways and threatening to demolish structures built illegally along riverbanks.
The Technical Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Erosion Control, Engr. Elisha Ebijimi, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday, attributing recent flooding in parts of Akure, including Ala, Eyinala and Ayedun communities, to blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal and illegal developments.
Ebijimi said the government had deployed amphibious machines to Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area and Ilaje Local Government Area to clear waterways and improve drainage ahead of the peak of the rainy season. He added that flood control efforts had been ongoing since the beginning of the year.
“We have been working on flood control since the beginning of the year. We will strictly enforce environmental laws against anyone dumping refuse into waterways or obstructing drainage channels with building materials. Residents must also stop practices that contribute to flooding,” he said.
He noted that despite previous interventions and public sensitisation campaigns in the Ala area, recent inspections revealed fresh heaps of refuse blocking waterways. According to him, the government has begun clearing the affected channels and urged residents to report environmental offenders to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
The government also warned that buildings erected without approval or in violation of planning regulations along the Ala River corridor would be demolished to safeguard lives and property. Officials said verification of planning approvals for structures in the area would form part of the enforcement exercise.
Speaking during an inspection of flood-prone communities, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Frederick Orunko, said the exercise was ordered by Deputy Governor Olayide Adelami, who chairs the Ondo State Emergency Management Agency, following reports of persistent flooding in parts of the state.
The National Emergency Management Agency also attributed the flooding to blocked waterways, indiscriminate waste disposal and illegal construction along riverbanks, warning that more communities could be affected if preventive measures are not implemented. Residents of the affected areas appealed to the state government to accelerate the clearing of drainage channels and enforce environmental and physical planning regulations.
