The Lagos State Government, on Wednesday, began the removal of shanties built along the Gbagada-Bariga drainage channel.
The Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, disclosed this in a statement.
Following last Wednesday’s floods in the state, occasioned by heavy rainfall, the state government had on Saturday given a 48-hour vacation notice to squatters and owners of illegal structures along the drainage channel.
The state’s Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said on Sunday that the activities of squatters and property owners in the area had blocked drainage channels, thereby resulting in the flooding experienced during the week.
“Lagos State government gives property owners who built illegal structures and squatters along Gbagada Bariga Channel a 48-hour vacation notice.
“The drainage channel which defloods Bariga, Gbagada, Sholuyi downstream communities and environs, and discharges into System 1 has been taken over by squatters who has constituted nuisance and security risks to the Estate, and property owners who deliberately built to obstruct free flow of water in the area. Shanties were erected along the length of the channel and their activities had blocked collectors that are supposed to carry stormwater into the Channel which resulted to the flooding experienced during the week,” Wahab had SAID (link 1) in a post on X.
Giving update on the vacation notice on Wednesday, Adeshina said operatives of the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance department of the ministry had began removal of all the shanties.
“Following the expiration of a removal notice to owners of shanties beside Bariga Gbagada Drainage Channel, operatives of the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance dept (MOE&WR) Wed commenced the removal of all the shanties on the drainage setback to stem the incident of flooding,” he said.
NewsNGR reported last Wednesday that the downpour, which lasted for about 10 hours, resulted in flash floods in areas such as Eredo, Bojije, Epe, Sangotedo, Ibeju-Lekki, Awoyaya, Labora, and Abijon.
Other areas affected include Iyana-Oworo, Agege, Ijegun-Isheri Osun and Gbagada.
The floods grounded vehicular movement, and led to the collapse of a two-storey building in the Mushin area of the state.
Also, a 61-year-old man, while wading through the floods around Orile-Iganmu, held on to a street light pole and got electrocuted.
Link 1
https://thewhistler.ng/after-flooding-lagos-issues-48-hour-quit-notice-to-property-owners-blocking-drainage-channels/