The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) and sister agencies have called on the various communities to take proactive steps to mitigate the devastating effects of the flood in case it happens in their areas by maintaining healthy environment.
This was made known on Monday at the sensitization/engagement campaign organised by Lopeng Energy Limited in conjunction with Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) on impending flood in communities and rural areas in the nine states of the Niger Delta.
In his lecture, the representative of NEMA, South-South Zone, Chidi Ogundu, said because of the devastating effects of flood on lives and property, there is need for different communities to maintain heathy environment by regularly clearing thier drainages, avoid indiscrimate dumping of refuse, avoid building houses on water channels, engage in irrigation to channel water away from the area and others to mitigate the effect of the floods in case it occurs.
According to him, the main purpose of the sensitization programme is to let the people in the communities know it is better to take proactive measures instead of waiting for the flood to come before acting.
His words: “I am here to give them(communities) lecture and create awareness and educate them on what flood is all about, its causes, its negative effects and measure to take in mitigating flood ..”
He said, the agencies on their part have put measures in place to ensure those people to be affected are moved to higher ground within the area adding, such ones would be provided enough food, medication and security in order for them not to be affected. According to him, the agencies would ensure that there is road or access to the place the likely displaced persons would be kept.
He said the Federal Government has mandated the state NEMA at the zonal offices to begin to identify higher and safer places where people who are likely to be affected by flood would taken to. He said, the people in Maidiguri were affected by flood due to the Dam which overflowed as the water decends into River Niger and cause more harm if proactive measures were not taken.
He therefore charged communities to tell one another to avoid this impending flood saying, the only challenges organization has is that, many people in the seminar may not be able to pass the message to others in this regard.
On his part, a resource person from NIMET, Elujah Abraham said,.climate change affects the earth saying when the sun heats the earth surface, the water goes up to form cloud which later falls as rain which causes the sea levels to rise will result to flood.
The Director, Community and Rural development, NDDC, Mrs Chinyere Umeh charged all participants to pass the message for the day to every nook and cranny of the communities to avert the impending flood.
The highlight of the ceremony was question and answers sessions.
