By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

Lagos State government yesterday stressed the need for the relocation of those residing in low land slums and flood prone areas of the state in order to prevent avoidable loss of lives and properties as the raining season is fast approaching.

The state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who gave the warning during the monitoring of the February edition of the monthly environmental sanitation in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), said the measure became necessary following heavy rainfall prediction by weather forecasters this year.

He said there was need for all hands to be on deck to minimize the impact of flooding across the state, saying that the state government was working round the clock to ensure that drainage channels are cleared ahead of the rains.

According to him, the state government is currently dredging the Makoko drainage channel in the Yaba LCDA, abd urged residents in the area to desist from dumping refuse into the canal.

Bello said: “The work on the Makoko drainage channel is a work in progress. What we are doing now is to dredge so that we can reduce the instance of flooding. Makoko is a low line area in the state, so what we are doing is to minimise the instance of flooding, but ordinarily people should not live in the low line”.

He added that the state government had requested for the assistance of the World Bank in the last four years to assist in developing some blighted areas, including, Iwaya, Makoko, Ijora Badia in the state.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/heavy-rain-forecast-lagos-warns-slum-residents-to-relocate/