In order to beat against the devastating effect of the foretold flood in Lagos, the Lagos State Government will embark on the demolition of structures erected on the natural wetlands and flood plains in the state.
Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello disclosed this on Saturday during the monthly sanitation exercise, which he monitored around the Ketu area of the state.
Monitoring the exercise with Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Aderemi Ibirogba and other top government officials, Bello lamented the rate at which buildings were illegally springing up on wetlands and flood plains in the state. He said this was disturbing especially in the light of the threat posed by the raining season.
According to the commissioner, government would no longer tolerate the creation of barriers to free flow of rain water by some residents. He threatened erring residents to expect government’s bulldozers soon.
“There are many natural wetlands in the state that people have erected structures on. In certain places where buildings should not stand, like flood plains, some people have erected structures there,” he said.
“A lot of demolition will have to take place in those areas. Wetlands are natural drains, so when people build on them, they are courting disasters and obstructing the course of nature. There is no way such can continue in Lagos. A lot of buildings will go. These illegal structures will be pulled down.”
Decrying the state of Agboyi, in Ketu, he said the erection of structures in the area has affected its beauty and put the residents at the serious risk of flooding, disclosing that the Ministry of Physical Planning has been properly informed of the developments.
Bello also lamented the dumping of refuse, particularly plastic bottles, in the main drainage channels by the residents, saying this attitude has resulted in the blocking of the drainage channels, thereby posing more danger to the people of the state.
His words: “Less than three months ago, we dredged this canal and now the whole thing is blocked with plastic bottles and other wastes.
“What it means is that as long as we continue to dredge it, you will continue to block it. This is not good. It amounts to a waste of resources and threatens the environment.
“As government is trying to help you, you too should also help yourselves. I appeal to you to stop dumping refuse in these canals so that water can flow freely into them and your areas can be free of floods,” he advised while assuring the residents that the canals would be cleared very soon.
A resident of the area, Mr. Daniel Akindagba, appealed for the construction of barricades around the canals to prevent people from dumping refuse into them disclosing that even non-residents do come to dump their wastes into the canals.
