Bayelsa to camp flood-prone area dwellers

In response to the flood warning issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the Bayelsa State Government has announced plans to identify elevated areas to establish temporary relief camps, in preparation for the anticipated flooding this year.

The State Government, on Tuesday, instructed the State Directorate for Flood and Erosion Control to commence the process of identifying suitable elevated areas for the establishment of flood relief camps in various locations throughout the state.

The government also ordered the directorate to identify buildings constructed on natural waterways within the Yenagoa metropolitan area, with the aim of potentially demolishing them to prevent flooding during heavy rainfall and the peak flood season.

The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directives at a meeting with the Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control and local government chairmen and their rural development authorities counterparts at the Government House in Yenagoa.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Doubara Atasi, Ewhrudjakpo said identifying and building campgrounds were part of proactive measures the state government was taking to mitigate the effects of any massive flooding as predicted by NiMET.

He said the “directorate should liaise with the local government and RDA chairmen to quickly establish more relief camps close to flood-prone communities to spare rural dwellers the trouble of moving to Yenagoa during floods.”

The deputy governor also stressed the need for the “Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies to intensify ongoing efforts in opening up canals and waterways in Yenagoa for unimpeded water flow this season”.

Ewhrudjakpo frowned on the practice of building houses and other structures across natural water canals, especially in the state capital, and assured that the present administration was poised to enforce the state Physical Planning and Development Act 2000.

Therefore, he directed the directorate to earmark such structures for possible demolition to save residents of Yenagoa from the menace of incessant flash floods.

The Director-General of the Bayelsa Directorate for Flood and Erosion Control, Walson Omuso, stated that efforts are currently underway to identify additional elevated areas for the establishment of flood relief camps, in anticipation of the predicted severe flooding, as forecasted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

Omuso urged local government chairmen and their Rural Development Area (RDA) counterparts to work together with the directorate, ensuring a collaborative effort that would enable the state government’s measures to effectively mitigate the impact of potential severe flooding and minimize the suffering of the affected population.