The Osun State Government has revealed that the dredging of rivers and waterways in Iwo local government is in response to the warning of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA).
The two bodies had forecast that the state was at risk of experiencing high probability of flood due to increased global warming.
They had advised the state government to embark on intensive flood control and management system to protect the lives and properties of citizens.
To this end, the state government has called om residents of Osogbo and other towns to be alive to their responsibilities towards the prevention and management of flood in the state.
It reassured residents of its efforts at averting any environmental disaster which may be caused as a result of heavy flooding.
The state government gave this assurance through the Special Adviser on Environment and Sanitation, Rufus Oyegbile on Sunday during the commencement of dredging of rivers and waterways in Iwo local government area of the state.
The Special Adviser noted that the government had in the last two years dredged many rivers and waterways across the state.
Some of these according to him included Osin, Sheusheu, Maaye, Arungbo, Odo-Ori, Aganga, Olobedu Akintokun, Ijetu, Awesin – Elentere, Alagbadun – Arioyun, Aketi-Osin- Amuni Atile Esinmirin, Agbara – Opa rivers and Lake 264.
Oyegbile explained that though the efforts had encountered challenges with the recent incidents of flood in some parts of the state, there was need for serious and urgent action on the part of government and all other stakeholders.
On his part, the Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye while maintaining that sensitisation and awareness campaign on floor preparedness was imperative to forestall the negative impact of flooding on people and their communities, appealed to grassroot leaders to intensity the sensitisation of people within their domain.
He added that such sensitisation would guard against the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and erecting of structures in water channels.
“All the stakeholders must as a matter of duty reawaken the consciousness of the people towards community service such as clearing of drainage and waterways so as to allow free flow of water, as this will also play a complementary role towards the efforts put in place by the government to avert hazardous effect of flood during raining season,” he said.
In recent days, some rivers have overflowed their banks leading to flooding in some areas of Iwo town.
The rivers are Odo Aiba, Oke Odo and Kuti areas, Ponyan and Oke Afo.
