The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has commenced demolition over 400 illegal house in Gwarinpa.
The team of Development Control and FCT Task Force started the operation on Thursday, saying that the structures which were illegally converted from corner shops to residential buildings and others were covering the water way.
Director, Development Control Department, Murkhtar Galadima, who spoke to journalists at the venue, who lamented the poor hygiene and sanitation in the area, said wastes are being released directly to the stream and this is a time bomb waiting to explode.
Director speaking on notice of demolition, said they were given 1 month notice, “We gave them over a month notice, I remember we came here for sensitization and we marked it. When you go round you see the markings on the wall”.
He decried the fact that people built on water ways, “What we are trying to do is to recover the flood plain within Gwarinpa, People built on water way. The area is not properly planned because they are just discharging their waste directly to the stream. And this could be a source of epidemic, so it is a time bomb waiting to happen. If we don’t take action immediately the consequences is unimaginable.
“Definitely I will advice them not to interfere with water channels and to also tell others that guilty that we are coming for them”.
On his part, The senior Special Assistant on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister Ikahro Attah, said he was shocked at the level of illegality in that area.
“I am very surprised at the level of illegality here, thanks to Development Control who spotted this illegality here. People decided to build on water way, constructing on stream making this area Gwarinpa prone to flooding.
“They even pushed the stream to a point that of there is an heavy rain,there will be massive flooding and this is a disaster waiting to happen. Very sad here, the FCTA through Federal Capital Territory, Emergency Management Agency, FEMA and other components agencies had given warning , the Federal Government had given warning through the water resources, NIMET also warned against an impending flooding. But people decided to build on the flood plain and they are arguing about 15 meters but they built zero meters some are on minus 3 meters and thereby constricting the water way so when disaster struck, they will say Government is not serious. And that is why we are removing all of them by the water corridor,” he said.
On number of house that would be removed, he said, the work is still ongoing but all houses on the water plain are going, “We are counting them, we don’t know the number yet. The Development Control are really showing commitment to save lives, so that flooding would not happen in Gwarinpa.