Flooding: ECID Anambra Partners call for Dredging of Rivers in Anambra
Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development (ECID) programme partners in Anambra State, led by Justice Development and Peace Caritas, Onitsha has called for dredging of all rivers in Anambra state to reduce over- flooding in the State.
The ECID programme which is supported by Christian Aid and funded by the government of United Kingdom (UK Aid) made the call through its group programme manager, Alphonsus C. Nwoye, during a press briefing with journalists on Monday at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha.
Nwoye urged governments to dredge surrounding rivers including Ezu, Niger and other rivers in order to deepen water depth and minimise overflowing of river levels which has caused untold hardship and pains to residents of the riverine areas during rainy season.
He urged government ministries and agencies to as a matter of urgency, focus on the farmers through the provision of upland storage facilities, harvesting machineries, and early supply of farm inputs as well as improved farm seedlings that can withstand flooding as well as other needed basic amenities like nutritious food and good water.
He said that people living in the riverine areas deserve government care, further stating that government through ministry of education should accommodate the children in the area by creating a policy on change of academic calendar for schools affected by flood as well as deploy teachers to organize teaching in IDP camps during period of flooding.
He noted that flooding is one of the biggest source of epidemics globally and called on governments through its ministries to deploy medical Doctors as well as PHC staff to deliver adequate health services in the Internally Displaced Camp.
Reeling the agenda on flood menace mitigation in Anambra state, Nwoye said that Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development (ECID) in their earlier report identified the problem of flooding as a serious concern to the ECID project community members during the project baseline survey.
He noted that the project target local governments are Ayamelum, Ogbaru, Awka North and Anambra West, stating further that the project is aimed at the use of data for development planning to impact on the lives of the people particularly the marginalized, including the rural poor women who are mostly farmers, people with disability as well as the adolescents who are easily exposed to danger and their education at risk.
The group while stressing on their agenda for mitigation, said that they are making serious effort to attract interest of governments to alleviate the plights of the people displaced by the flood and who now take IDP center as their home even as they noted that the state alone has eleven (11) IDP centers presently.
“We are looking at sectors of education, health, Agriculture and infrastructure. The crux of the release was centered on flooding which has adversely ravaged most communities in the riverine areas of Anambra state.
” The affected local governments and communities in the riverine Anambra west need government intervention to reduce its attendant effects to the people, particularly the poor and vulnerable in the hard-to- reach communities of ECID project in Anambra state.”
He said the organization made it a duty to sensitize the public on the menace of flooding, the early warning signs in the affected riverine areas as well as possible government interventions with view to assist flood victims in their areas of identified needs.
He noted that JDPC has engaged and is still engaging stakeholders and government both at local and state level to help alleviate the sufferings of people affected by the floodings.
