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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Edo State, has alerted residents on imminent flood in the state, tasking residents to disilt their drainages in order to mitigating its impact , especially in flood prone areas.
It listed Etsako East, Etsako Central and Esan South-East as the local government areas that would experience more of the flood due to their proximities to the banks of the River Niger.
Head, NEMA Edo Operations Office, Mr. Dahiru Yusuf , made the call in Benin at a workshop on 2022 Flood Preparedness, Mitigation and Response organized for stakeholders in Disaster Management.
He said the call became necessary following the 2022 seasonal climate prediction that forecast that there would be high rainfall across the country.
“Drainages ,culverts and all water ways should be cleared for water to flow freely without affecting buildings and also reduced the impact of flood especially in the urban centres,” he said
He advised riverine communities to start moving to higher grounds when the volume of water increases because consistent rainfall would increase the water levels of different rivers across the state
” The 2022 seasonal climate prediction length of the growing season in Edo State is predicted to be above normal.”
“This prediction is already playing in Edo State as reported by the representatives of the frontline local governments where there have been an increase in the volume of water leading to some communities been cut off.
According to him, the increase in water levels would lead to flooding of houses, structures, and farmlands in communities situated along the river banks.
He therefore called on farmers in the areas to be guided by the predictions to avoid loss of lives, resources and livelihoods, saying “NEMA would continue to sensitize the people on the risks associated with flooding.”
