By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Delta State Government has described the flooding currently affecting parts of the state as flash flooding, assuring residents that the situation is under control.
The Commissioner for Bureau for Special Duties, Terry Etacherure, stated this on Tuesday, in Asaba, while briefing journalists on the state’s preparedness for flooding and other emergencies.
Etacherure said the current flooding was largely caused by heavy rainfall and blocked drainage channels, adding that it was not yet the major flooding that could result in widespread displacement.
He said the state had established a flood committee comprising relevant ministries, agencies and officials from flood-prone local government areas to coordinate preparedness and emergency response.
According to him, the government had also identified locations that could serve as internally displaced persons camps if evacuation became necessary.
“What we are having right now is not even the major flood. It is what we call flash flooding. Once the rain stops falling for about two or three days, you see the water recedes,” he said.
The commissioner, however, warned that indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels was worsening flooding in some communities.
He said officials were clearing waste and other obstructions from waterways while sensitising residents on the need to keep drainage channels free-flowing.
Etacherure said some flood-prone areas usually recovered quickly once blocked drainage channels were cleared, adding that officials had recently cleared an obstruction near a bridge where residents were allegedly dumping refuse.
He acknowledged that permanently addressing flooding would require substantial investment in drainage infrastructure and other long-term measures.
On structures built on waterways, the commissioner said enforcement was primarily the responsibility of the ministry overseeing urban development, adding that action had already been taken against some structures obstructing waterways.
He said the Bureau for Special Duties was working with the Ministry of Environment and other agencies to coordinate the state’s flood response.
Etacherure also said the government had relief materials available for affected residents and would distribute them according to need if the situation worsened.
He urged residents to stop dumping waste in drainage channels and support government efforts to prevent flooding.
The commissioner further assured residents that fire trucks would soon be deployed to newly constructed and renovated fire stations across the state, saying the vehicles had been ordered and would arrive after the procurement process was completed.
