LASG CALLS FOR CALM AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF TORRENTIAL RAINFALL
… Commissioner Assures of Immediate Abatement As Witnessed At Iyana Oworo
Lagos State Government on Wednesday called for calm from residents over the flash flood which the incessant rainfalls experienced throughout the state since the early hours of the day had caused.
A statement signed by the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, explained that Lagos has experienced about nine hours of continuous rainfall since the early hours of Wednesday.
According to him, this is in addition to the heavy rainfall that the state has been experiencing daily since last week resulting in the level rise of the Lagos Lagoon.
Wahab stated that the flash floods which inundated areas like Iyana Oworo linking the Third Mainland and several other areas will recede once the rains abate and the level of the Lagoon goes down.
The Commissioner added that the State has also deployed officials of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to major black spots including Iyana Oworo which has been cleared of all blockages.
He urged all those in low-lying areas to as a matter of necessity relocate to higher grounds at this period to safeguard lives and properties.
He also urged residents to desist from wading through floods with their vehicles as it takes only a foot of flowing water with high tide to sweep away a vehicle irrespective of the number of occupants.
The Commissioner also urged all residents to avail themselves of daily weather reports issued by the State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources as it serves as a guide to daily itinerary.
He reminded that Lagos is a coastal city with almost one-third of its landmass underwater, necessitating a genuine reason for every resident to be more responsive to the state of the environment.
He reiterated that the State Government has embarked on a year-long maintenance and cleaning of all its secondary and primary collectors to be able to contain runoffs that may come from heavy rainfalls.
He therefore enjoined residents to regularly clean and maintain the tertiary drains in front of their tenements and refrain from dumping refuse in the drains for the collective good of everyone.