Sanwo-Olu approves dredging of 28 drainage channels

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Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State

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Following flooding in parts of the state, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the dredging of 28 additional primary drainage channels.

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Read Also: Lagos submerged as floods sack homes, paralyse traffic, halts businesses

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He noted that the incident was not peculiar to Lagos, explaining that similar heavy rainfall also affected other African countries and parts of North America on the same day.

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According to the commissioner, Lagos faces a more complex hydrological challenge because of its extensive network of lagoons, rivers, creeks and tidal water bodies.

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He explained that the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean, Lagos Lagoon and other water bodies, particularly during high tide, naturally slows the discharge of storm water into the sea, resulting in temporary flooding in low-lying areas after exceptionally heavy rainfall.

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The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kunle Adeshina, said the recent heavy rainfall was an extreme weather event that overwhelmed drainage infrastructure in several parts of the state.

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He said the downpours triggered temporary flooding in communities including Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikeja, Gbagada, Mushin and Mafoluku.

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The statement read: “The Lagos State Government on Tuesday called for calm and understanding from residents following the massive flash flooding experienced in many parts of the state over the last two weeks, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approving the immediate dredging and maintenance of 28 additional primary channels across the state.

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“The rainfalls were an extreme weather event that produced an unusually high volume of water within a short period, overwhelming drainage channels in some locations and resulting in temporary flooding across parts of Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikeja, Gbagada, Mushin, Mafoluku and several other areas.

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“The Lagos State Government remains fully on top of the situation through continuous monitoring of drainage infrastructure, flood-prone locations and other critical water channels.”

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Environmentalist speaks

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An urban planner and environmentalist, Michael Simire, said causes of the raging floods in Lagos include high rainfall intensity: poor drainage and blocked channels, canals, low-lying coastal and weak enforcement of setbacks, buildings and structures encroaching on waterways which reduce flow of capacity.

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