Urges relocation before rain
Ogun State Government, yesterday, urged residents in wetland areas to relocate to safer ground before the rain commences fully.
The rain, according to the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), would commence in March and end in December 2024 with an average rainy period of 239 days and an average precipitation of 1786.5mm, affecting 16 out of the 20 local councils of the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, who disclosed this during the 2024 Ogun State Flood Alert, in conjunction with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, also said that Imeko-Afon, Odeda, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South councils would experience the lowest rainfall.
Oresanya, who said that people in the hilly areas were going to experience erosion as a result of the speed of the water, called for calm as the state government is putting measures in place to cushion the effects of the expected heavy rainfall.
He also promised that the state government would address the menace of flooding with the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini-bridges/culverts as well as desilting and clearing of 56.150m length of river across the state.
The commissioner, who noted that the length of the rainy season for the coastal areas ranges between 250 to 292 days, while that of inland areas is between 200 to 250 days, encouraged farmers to start planting.
He urged fish farmers to harvest before the peak of the rainy season in July and advised poultry farmers against stocking density during the period, which started two months back.
Oresanya also called on the people to apply for a ‘drainage permit’ before constructing their drainages.
This, he said, would ensure that drainages have the right elevation for the passage of water.
The drainage permit, he added, would guide residents against building on flood plains and wetlands unknowingly during the dry season.
In his remarks, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), Olufemi Odumosu, said that OORBDA had been holistic while focusing on the structural measures for flood control.
According to him, Oyan Dam has been responsible for the supply of bulk water to Ogun and Lagos states, irrigation infrastructure for agriculture, flood control, hydro-power generation potentials, research and transportation, as well as tourism, which he said, is yet to be fully tapped.
