Flood: Bayelsa Government Orders Demolition Of Structures On Water Channels

As the rains intensify in Bayelsa State and following the 2024 flood warning issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the State Government has directed the Directorate for Flood and Erosion Control to identify structures built on natural canals within the Yenagoa metropolis for possible demolition to check flooding.
The government also directed the directorate to liaise with the local government and RDA chairmen to quickly establish more relief camps close to flood-prone communities to spare rural dwellers the trouble of moving to Yenagoa, the state capital.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who frowned on the practice of building houses and other structures across natural water canals, especially in the state capital, assured that the present administration determined to implement the state Physical Planning and Development Act 2000.
Speaking recently in Yenagoa during a meeting with the Director-General and the directors of the Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control (BYSDFEC), the Deputy Governor, directed the directorate to begin the process of identifying higher grounds for flood relief camps across the state.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, the Deputy Governor said identifying and building camp grounds were part of proactive measures the state government is taking to mitigate the effects of any massive flooding as predicted by NIMET.
He also stressed the need for the ministry of environment and other relevant agencies to intensify the ongoing efforts in opening up canals and waterways for unimpeded water flow.
The Director-General of the Bayelsa Directorate for Flood and Erosion Control, Mr. Walson Omuso, said efforts were underway to identify additional higher grounds for the flood relief camps in preparation for the huge flood as predicted by NIMET.
Omuso appealed to the local government chairmen and their RDA counterparts to collaborate with the Directorate to ensure that measures being taken by the state government succeed in alleviating the suffering of the people in the event of any serious flooding in the state.