FLOOD MANAGEMENT PLAN – By Ifedi Okwenna
Anambra is one of the major flood-prone states. This has devastating consequences on the economy of the State. Virtually all parts of Anambra West, Ogbaru and parts of Anambra East Local Governments are perennially submerged under flood for most part of the year. Our urban centers are not spared. All our major cities including Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi are usually flooded during rainy seasons not minding that Onitsha has a well designed underground storm water channel network which unfortunately has been blocked by poor urban management, indiscriminate dumbing of waste into drainage channels and uncontrollable erection of building on the storm water and the central sewage channeling systems in the city.
As Commissioner for Environment under the Peter Obi administration, we opened up and dredged the Otumoye/Nwangene Creek, the Sacamori drains – opened up the underground drainage channels in Onitsha that drain flood water from parts of Onitsha into the River Niger; saw the completion of the large stormwater channel that navigated flood from parts of Onitsha, Awada, Ugwuagba, off Okpoko into the River Niger. We also opened up flood channel into Idemili watershed that drained flood off ngbuka Obosi, along the Onitsha – Owerri expressway, we designed and constructed the Iyiagu stormwater drains and designed the Awka Integrated Flood Control Scheme. We signed a maintenance agreement for routine maintenance of the Sacamori drains and Otumoye/Nwangene creek.
These plans, put in place for sustainable flood management in our state, have been abandoned, unfunded and uncared for. Indeed, the all-important Nwangene Creek that drains Onitsha flood into River Niger is sand-filled and is now being sold for housing development and various stormwater channels are no longer been serviced and cleaned at the beginning of every rainy season and new stormwater channels are not being constructed. This negligence is compounding the flooding problems of our State.
As government, we shall create the Anambra State Integrated Flood Management Agency (ASIFMA) to provide lead for effective planning and implementation of flood control projects in the flood ravaging local governments of the State and in the management of Municipal flooding in our urban centers. ASIFMA shall partner with the Metrological Dept. and the State Emergency Management Agency to provide early warning systems, sensitization and evacuation of those within the catchment areas. They are to make plans for Flood Insurance cover to aid housing rehabilitations and for agricultural seedlings/equipment replacement; provide entrepreneurship training and poverty intervention fund for those in the flooding areas for cushioning the effects of flood. We shall design and construct the integrated flood control schemes for Awka, Nnewi and Ekwulobia; expand, upgrade and provide sustainable management plans for Ontisha flood control scheme and its Satellite towns. We shall dredge and regularly maintain the Otumoye/Nwangene lake to continue to serve as buffer to the River Niger and as collector drain for floods coming from parts of Onitsha metro areas.
The Awka integrated flood control project will provide artificial lake which will be treated and utilized for irrigation purposes, recreational activities and for aesthetic value for the city. All Stormwater drains and other flood water channels shall be opened and cleaned up at the beginning of every rainy season while good environment practices and effective solid waste management systems to adopted in the State, will make it punishable offense for anyone who dumps waste directly into any flood water channel in Anambra State.
Join us, let’s go to work.
It’s possible.
