Following heavy downpours on Friday, flood wreaked havoc in Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West local government area of Ondo state, destroying property worth millions of naira
The over eight-hour torrential rain displaced many residents of the town but there was no life lost in the incident which lasted several hours on Friday.
Some of the areas affected by the flood include Ita-Nla Road, Lipakala Road, Oke-Odunwo, Oluwabamikole, Odojomu, Bethlehem, Gani Fawehinmi, Oke-Idera, Iranlowo, Ife Garage/St. Andrews, Ife Road, and Iluyemi, among others.
Some of the areas which were severely affected in Ita-Nla and Lipakala areas where houses, shops, vehicles, and other valuables were submerged by the flood.
A resident, Helen Akinmoladun attributed the flood to the blockage of drainage in some of the areas, and said that “residents, especially shop owners, were badly affected. We thank God nobody was swept away or died.
In a swift reaction, the state government has ordered evacuation of the affected areas and rapid response had begun to halt further damages.
While sympathising with the people of Ondo city and the traditional ruler, the Osemawe of Ondo, the State government maintained that necessary machinery had been put in place to avert the possible flood as predicted by NIMET.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Environment, Oyeniyi Oseni, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had ordered that dredging of the canals be intensified and as well sanction developers building on canals.
According to him, amphibious excavators had been deployed into critical erosion-prone areas in the state for dredging, stressing that it had been working in Ondo kingdom in the past two weeks, precisely in Laje and Oke-Odunwo, the areas identified as the most critical erosion prone locations.
Oseni stated that “the cause of the flooding on Friday also could be attributed to development on waterways in an estate at Fagun and along Ife road area of the community.”
He further stated that his ministry was going to collaborate with the relevant section of the government to address the unlawful development along the waterways.
Oseni said that his findings revealed the urgent need to further dredge some canals along Captain Cook up to the sawmill area of Ondo which will commence today (Saturday).
He promised that the Amphibious Excavator will continue to work in the area to allow free flow of water through the canal, and informed that the cause of the flooding on Friday also could be attributed to development on waterways in an Estate at Fagun and along Ife road.
He, therefore, said that his Ministry is going to collaborate with the relevant MDAs to address the unlawful development along the waterways.
He assured the monarch and the people of the town that the Amphibious Excavator would continue the dredging of the canal until the problem is resolved.
Oseni said that Amphibious Excavators had been deployed into critical erosion-prone areas in the state for dredging.
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