Flood Alert!

                                    

The rains are here again and it's time for worry. But the Gidi government says, panic not, 'cos they've put in adequate measures to reduce cases of flooding to the barest minimum in the state this year.


The presence of drainage and road construction projects contributed to the flood experienced last year. So says the Commissioner of Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, at a briefing on the work plan and activities of the
Ministry for 2013.

According to him, at the end of year 2012, the government dredged 70 primary channels across 20 local government areas totaling about 32.3 kilometres.

He said 330 secondary collectors’ drains were cleared to complement the free flow of storm water into the primary channels, stressing  that the constructions of new channels at Awori/Moricas, Elere, Arigbanla,
Gbagada, among others, would help tackle flood when the heavy rainfall commences.

Bello said; “Over 25 projects are expected to be constructed to further de-flood some major areas of the state,” noting that over 50 primary channels had also been programmed for maintenance.

A very good development on the part of the Gidi Government, but the people themselves have to play their part. We can begin from today to watch how we dispose of our waste.

Partner with the waste disposal units by ensuring that our wastes are properly bagged and handed over to them: avoid the drains entirely as a waste dump site: ensure that road projects do not dump rocks and sands
into the drains: maintain regular sanitation of the drains, etc.

I have a beef with a particular organisation situated in the Opebi area of Gidi. This establishment is a fast food eatery whose 'Republic' is of the avian type. Right in front of their very large building, the gutters lay exposed with the slabs removed and placed to the side, right on the road, all around the front of the building.

This gutter, facing the eatery, has loads and loads of debris floating on the surface, in fact, it's clogged with it. . . And no one is doing anything.

Someone obviously took the slabs off with the intention of clearing out the gutters, but after removing them, nothing has been done: The gutter is yet to be cleaned, and the slabs are constituting a nuisance to free flow of motor and pedestrian traffic.

You'd think the fast food eatery would do something about it, seeing as this eye-sore is right in front of their establishment, but no. . .

. . . They like it like that.

If Fashola is working, and Lagos is working, the question then becomes. . .

. . . Are we working?