In a bid to avert possible flood disasters, the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency has commenced the dredging of a blocked river in Ihe and Umudere communities in Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking on Monday during an inspection of the exercise, the Deputy General Manager of ASEPA, Mr. Ambrose Jonah, said the agency was acting in line with the directive of Governor Alex Otti to ensure that the river, located within the Umuahia capital territory is opened up to allow the free flow of rainwater.
He revealed that two culverts along the river were already blocked, causing water to overflow during heavy rainfall.
“Abia is one of the states expected to experience flooding during this rainy season. Consequently, the state government is doing everything possible to avert the impending flood.
“The governor was informed about this river; he sent me the pictures and directed immediate action to clear the blocked river because we do not want to experience any flooding here. We also intend to widen the river a bit to enable the free flow of water,” he stated.
Jonah urged residents of the state to desist from dumping refuse into rivers and drainage channels in the interest of public safety.
He said, “We are appealing to the general public to please stop dumping waste into gutters. We need to begin to adopt proper waste management practices, including separating waste at source.
“Most of the waste we have identified here consists of non-biodegradable materials. These do not decay and are causing serious environmental hazards.
“We are asking the public to support the government in ensuring a cleaner and safer environment by not dumping waste into drainages. It’s important for all of us to change our habits and be environmentally conscious.
“When we embrace this mind set, we reduce the need for constant dredging and excavation of waste from our drainage systems,” he emphasized.
Also speaking, the Director of Operations at ASEPA, Mr. ChidiebereOgbuenyi, warned that blocking rivers and drainages with refuse could lead to the early collapse of roads and culverts.
He urged Abia residents to dispose of their refuse properly and avoid using drainage channels as dumping grounds.
“You know, before now in Abia State, we used to collect about 23,000 tonnes of waste annually. The rest of the waste ended up in the drainages. But since the coming of Governor Alex Otti, we’ve been able to improve our waste management system and now collect up to 216,000 tonnes of waste annually.
“With this in place, we are encouraging all residents not to dump waste into drainages. It blocks waterways and leads to the collapse of roads and culverts,” he said.
