Press Releases

Flooding: Fashola Appeals To Lagosians On Proper Refuse Disposal

May 18, 2009 - As the rainy season gathers momentum in the country, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Monday appealed to Lagosians to change the prevalent habit of dumping refuse anywhere, especially into the drains, saying the habit increases the incidence of flooding in the State.

Governor Fashola, who fielded questions from Government House Correspondents on the incidence of flooding in parts of the State, said there was need to manage the drains that are being constructed around the State in order to enable them function properly in ameliorating the problem of flooding in the State.

According to him, aside from the fact that the State lies below water level and therefore is prone to flooding, “The human element is the element about how we even manage the drains which we have built, people dumping pure water sachets and refuse into the drains. This is the human element which we continue to appeal to our people to change that instinctive reaction of dumping refuse anywhere”.

On the continued incidence of flooding in parts of the State in spite of the drains being constructed by the State Government to curb it, Governor Fashola explained that Lagos lies below sea level and, therefore, will always be prone to flooding, adding that when the Ocean and the Lagoons which provide the natural drainages for Lagos, rise the water in the drains and gutters remain stagnant until the level of the water in the ocean and lagoons go down.

Governor Fashola, who said the continued flooding in some parts of Lagos, does not typify failure on the part of Government, explained, “It is important to understand that Lagos is an Island that lies below sea level and, therefore, it will remain prone to flooding. It is also important to emphasize that the natural drainage for Lagos are the lagoons and the ocean, the ultimate base where the entire flood goes. And because we lie below it, we are always in danger of being flooded “, the Governor said.

He continued, “So with all of the best drains that we have built, the threat of the Ocean and the lagoons disturbing flow of water remains potent. What happens is that in the high rainfall, the water level in the ocean and the lagoons rise above the drainage level and all the water lying in the drains will wait until the water in the lagoons goes away before it can drain out. This must be understood”, he said.

The Governor said apart from constructing drains and clearing refuse, Government would indulge in advocacy, public enlightenment and information sharing with the people to understand the peculiar reasons why Lagos remains flooded

Describing the Rainy Season as a change of nature’s cycle, Governor Fashola declared, “Each season brings its own unique benefits and its unique problems. During the dry season, there was a lot of static in the air and, therefore, we had much more combustible materials and that is why the dry season is usually characterized by incidents of fire outbreaks. We have responded as a Government. You cannot absolutely prevent fire. What you can do is to develop a response capacity to deal with it when it happens and this we have done successfully in the last dry season”.

Noting that what is happening is not unique to Lagos, Governor Fashola said that each nation and each city of the world has its own peculiar cycle of nature, citing the State of California which, according to him, is battling fire at the moment as the state is moving into dry season, adding that this is a yearly occurrence in that state and parts of Australia which the people cannot do anything about.

“So the problems that we have are not unique to us. They are cycles of nature that will task the energies and ingenuity of leaders of those regions. In the next few weeks, may be June or July, America will be going to hurricane season. It happens year in year out and there is nothing they can do to stop it except to prepare for it and that is why we must be prepared”, the Governor said.

Explaining the incidence of flooding from the global perspective, Governor Fashola said, “There is increasing melting of large body of ice in the Arctic Region. About a month ago, about 100 kilometres of the Arctic, which is as big as from here to Ibadan, melted. As that ice is melting, it is finding its way into the oceans, into the creeks, into existing lagoons across the whole world, Lagos and Nigeria not exempted”.

“It is finding its way into the Atlantic Ocean which is at the Bar Beach in Lagos, which is also in Brazil, which is also in parts of North America. That water level will rise, and when it does rise, it means that even our recently constructed drainages that are working will have to wait for that water to go down before they can flow into it”, the Governor said adding that the water in the gutter and the drains does not disappear anywhere else except the lagoons.

Urging the people to imbibe the culture of planting trees and flowers, Governor Fashola declared, “They provide the first defense against flooding. They will take up all of the water. Trees store water to prevent erosion”.