Flood alert: 14 Communities Urged to Vacate for 2 Weeks, Reason Emerges

• Ogun state government has issued fresh flood alert to no less than 14 communities in the riverbank and wetland areas in the state
• The state commissioner for environment, in a statement on Monday, October 20, emphasised the need for the people to temporarily leave the area
• According to the government, the Ogun River is expected to overflow within the next two weeks and gave reason for it

Governor Dapo Abiodun-led government in Ogun state has urged the residents and communities in the riverbank and wetland areas to prepare ahead of the overflowing of the Ogun River in the next two weeks.

According to the government, the river is expected to overflow from Monday, October 20 to Monday, November 3. The communities that may be affected included Akute, Alagbole, Isheri, Magboro, Makogi, Orimerunmu, Iro, Kajola.

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Other Ogun communities on flood alert

Other communities that may be affected during the period are some part of Abeokuta, the state capital. These communities included Lafenwa, Enugada, Adedotun, Iberekodo, Akin-Olugbade, and Ago-Odo.

Channels Television reported that the development was part of the state's continued efforts at mitigating flood and its expected effects on the people through its consistent flood alert, which was the third for the year.

Ola Oresanya, the state's commissioner for environment, in the latest flood alert, explained that the overflow from the Ogun river would rise because of the controlled released of water from the Oyan Dam, which was also caused bu rainfall from the north.

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Why Ogun issued flood alert

Oresanya explained that release was due to the volume of water reaching the dam from the up-northern part of Nigeria and would subsequently compound the tidal level of the Ogun river.

The alert added that the increase in the water flow will then affect the River from the dam and urged the residents to take caution to avoid the loss of lives and properties within the stated period.

He stressed that the residents in the aforementioned areas need to avoid the riverbank, while those in the wetlands are advised to mot to higher grounds or elevate their stay because the overflow remained inevitable.

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The commissioner further noted that part of the mitigating plans of the government was the continuous dredging and the opening up of more tributaries for the Ogun River to ease pressure of the overflow on the people. He explained that this was being done collectively with the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority that owns the Oyan Dam. He said that the authority has continuously controlled the release of water from the dam through the year.

4 Dams to discharge excess water

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Niger state government has warned people living in the riverine areas in the state to the upstream areas to avoid the impending flood.

NSEMA, the state's emergency agency, said the warning was a result of the notification from the four hydroelectric dams in the state, Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji and Zungeru.

The notification was that the dams would be discharging excess water in a couple of days, and this would cause the River Niger to overflow.

Source: Legit.ng