3-day rain exposes Lagos to unprecedented flooding

By JOY EMEH

Getting to Ajegunle in Ikorodu area of Lagos, a woman who simply identified herself as Mama Seun was seen scooping water that has taken over her room. The water which covered the length of her bed and has other properties floating has destroyed all the things that this middle aged woman has lived for.

Others were also seen walking bare-footed across the flood turned river and gazing aimlessly at their houses that have been swamped.

In Idi-Araba area of Surulere, children were seen standing on top of their beds even as the grown-ups engaged themselves in the effort scooping the water that has taken over every where in the building.

Almost in every part of Lagos, the story was the same as none ever told a different story about flood.

As rainy season means a time of refreshing to most Nigerians, a time when farmers anticipate a better performance of their seedlings, it is a sad expirience for residents of Lagos giving that any rainy day brings very difficult moments. It is a period of terrible experiences and painful memories. It is a time when Lagosians start putting up preparations, waiting for the rain. While some buy rubber footwears to swim the flood on the roads, others take their most important properties to their neighbours who live in storied buildings, yet others try to build up the entrance of their houses and some parents stop their children from going to school for fear of being swept away by flood.
When it rains, many houses are swamped, properties are destroyed and sometimes human lives are lost as the floods sweep away everything in their path, leaving residents to recount their losses.

This year is no exception as this annual problem came with a vengence. Just recently, the three days heavy down pour in Lagos created an unforgettable experience for many Lagosians.

Lagos which is on the verge of becoming a mega-city had its socio-economic activities were paralyzed and residential houses, public offices and business places were taken over by flood in areas like Obalende, Ikoyi, Lekki, Orile, Surulere, Bolade, Mushin, Oshodi, Ketu, and some parts of Ikorodu. Properties were seen littered all over the places as houses were swamped. Residents were also seen in the rain trying to recover what has been carried away by flood. Public offices flooded, with their entrances under lock and key as workers could not gain access to their offices.

Vehicles were not left out as a good number of them broke down and got stuck in the flood.

Speaking on the flood in the state, an environmentalist, Mr. Dele Ogunsanya said the state lies below sea level and the flood is one of the results of the enormous environmental damage, adding that indiscriminate draining has tilted the balance in the ecosystem.
He said that a place like California, which though is below sea level, does not witness annual flooding like Lagos.

He added that in California, they built on the surface of water by using pillars, but what happens here is that, we are doing a lot of reclaimation. "We have to dig out sand from the sea to fill up the swampy areas," he added.

Ogunsanya said most of the lands we have in Lagos today are sand-filled and it is difficult to find a lasting solution to such threat giving that the people has forcefully tampered with nature

He argued that in California for example all the drainage systems they had provided, they have considered the gradient of discharge of run-off water during rainfall and melting snow. But that in our case, we have destroyed nature by sand filling of low level areas to create land for building. And this is done to the detriment of the environment and the people. He said that the prevailing phenomenon is caused by the slow rate of absorption of water into the ground due to the disruption in the ecosystem and of the inappropriate manner in which the cities are urbanised.

He advised that in planning, the texture of the land should be considered to avoid the problem of when rain falls, the velocity of the rain runs off to create problem somewhere.

Dr. (Mrs.) Mabel Amosu of Federal Ministry of Environment said the cause of flood in Lagos is due to the habits of many residents who continually dispose their wastes indiscriminately.
She said this form of waste disposal has gone a long way to block waterways and as such, channeled the water to wrong places.

She insisted that dredging work which is presently going on in the state has been sabotaged by residents who after each round of operation, fill the places with all kinds of waste.

She said that this habit discourages the state government in its efforts to make the state what it should be as most canals that have been dredged, including Ejigbo, Orile, Shogunle, Obalende and others are now clogged by debris that are yet to be evacuated.
She, said: "The efforts of the government should be complementary with the residents making effort to have a healthy and conducive environment. She added that each should be helping the other to achieve the best for the state.

She called on residents to desist from the habit of dumping solid waste in drainage channels as this would go a long way in making Lagos flood-free.