By Onwa Ekor
Following days of torrential rainfall in Calabar that left several communities grappling with floods, Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has ordered immediate intervention to ease the impact of flooding.
Otu gave the directive during an inspection of one of the worst-hit flood sites around the Industrial Park axis of Calabar, where he assessed the extent of the damage and interacted with affected residents.
He remarked that the immediate priority is to evacuate the floodwater in order to restore access to affected communities and enable residents resume their normal activities.
“I have directed the Commissioner for Works on what needs to be done immediately. Luckily, we have a highly experienced professional engineer on site, and every effort is being made to get this water out as quickly as possible so that people can return to their normal lives,” the governor said
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He noted that the recurring flooding underscores the growing impact of climate change and calls for a comprehensive review of the state’s urban drainage master plan to improve stormwater management.
“It is now very clear that we are dealing with the realities of climate change. We will have to revisit our master plan and ensure that drainage channels designed to convey floodwater into the sea and other natural outlets are properly restructured and expanded to cope with present realities,” the governor stated.
He disclosed that government has already deployed emergency response and extension teams across affected communities to assess the situation and identify immediate humanitarian needs, adding that, “officials are documenting the level of damage while identifying families requiring emergency accommodation, food assistance and other forms of relief.”
According to Otu, “we have people on the ground, not just in Calabar but across the state, assessing the situation.
“We are identifying areas where immediate intervention is required, whether through temporary accommodation, food support or other relief measures.
“Our objective is to reduce the pains and hardships being experienced by our people,” the governor said.
Observing that many structures were built on water channels without the necessary approvals thereby making effective flood management difficult, Otu cautioned against such unsafe acts, describing the practice as one of the major contributors to flooding in urban areas.
“My advice is that those who have built on drainage channels should begin to consider creating access for water to flow as many of these structures are illegal.
“We understand the huge financial sacrifices involved in building houses, so we are exploring alternatives that will minimise demolition where possible, but something must be done,” he stressed.
To prospective developers, the governor advised them to always obtain the required planning approvals before commencing construction particularly in environmentally sensitive areas.
“People must exercise restraint and ensure they secure proper approvals before putting up buildings, especially in locations where development is not permitted.
“Preventing future disasters begins with responsible physical planning,” the governor warned.
