Lagos govt alerts residents as Oyan Dam set to release more water

LAGOS State government on Sunday reminded residents, especially those close to the banks of the Ogun River to be at alert as more water will be released from Oyan Dam this month.

According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, 23 million cubic meters of water will be released during the month which is the peak.

He explained that the release from the Oyan Dam which is the highest is as a result of the intensive rainfalls which will also climax in the current month.

He urged residents of Agboyi -Ketu, Owode Onirin, Isheri, Ajegunle, Agiliti, Kara, Majidun and all areas bordering the rivers and the sea in Lagos to be wary of the staggered release.

He added that by November, a gradual reduction of water release will be effected to the tune of 11million cubic meters as the intensity of the rainfalls decrease.

The commissioner also reminded that from data provided by the Nigerian Hydrological Services, the months of July, August, September and October signify heavy rainfall, flooding and flood disasters in most parts of the country.

He reiterated that the alert has become necessary because the projected heavy rainfall which resumed in September will still continue with high intensity this month leading to the staggered release of water from the dam.

Bello said in continuation of preventive efforts against flooding by the state government, work is almost at completion at all the secondary and primary channels.

“This is in addition to the efforts of our Emergency Flood Abatement Gangs (EFAG) that are being deployed round the state to undertake quick fixes to free manholes or clogged up drains manually,” he said.

“Flash floods are not peculiar to Lagos. It is the new wave in most coastal cities around the world, including those who have adopted the best of technological advancements to curtail flooding”, he said.

He urged residents to adopt an attitudinal change of not dumping refuse in drainage channels and erecting structures on drainage alignments, vowing that culprits would be punished, adding that residents owe it a duty to support efforts of the state government to ensure that heavy rainfalls do not wreak havoc in any parts of the state.

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