How heavy flooding has become a perennial problem in Delta capital city

- Heavy flooding has become a perennial challenge in Asaba, the Delta state capital

- Succeeding governments have, over the years, toyed with the issue of flooding and when the rains pour, life becomes unbearable for the people

- Though the present administration is making plans as usual, the governor's efforts are yet to assuage the flooding challenge

As usual, on yearly basis, the rains have arrived. For residents of Asaba, the Delta state capital, the story is not much different from previous years. It’s still the same endless tales of flooding and inability to access certain places due to heavy flooding. Although the state government has rehabilitated some of the roads from which it commissioned 12 on June 2, the impact of flooding is still heavy on major roads across the state capital and the adjourning communities, especially Okpanam.

Just couple of months back, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had told journalists during a media briefing that the state government had released N100 million to the contractor handling the construction of diversion drainages to accommodate the anticipated flooding on Okpanam road when the heavy rains finally arrive, to ensure “the completion of drains along Okpanam road before the commencement of the rains.” Okpanam road is one of the heavily affected roads in the state capital.

The governor, during inspection of Okpanam road on February 8, 2017, explained that the drainage work would be connected and completed before the end of February, 2017, emphasizing that the drainage project is very important to the deflooding of Asaba and the suburbs, making the Asaba capital territory.

He stressed: “A lot of work is going on with the drains and l have been assured that in another 10 days the drains will be connected. After the connection, we are going to see what happens when the rain comes and how efficiently the drains will carry the water."

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Despite the fact that the governor expressed optimism on the completion of the work before the end of the said month, February, which was expected to tackle the critical issue of ridden Asaba of storm waters before the rains commenced, the contracting firm seems to have failed to meet up with the timing given to the governor.

Following the non-completion of the road, every time there is a downpour, passing through the road is a nightmare to both pedestrians and motorists. It is usually heavily flooded and motorists caught midway as the rains pour, they either wade through as in one wades through a river.

For residents who bared their minds to Legit.ng, it has never been easy living in that area of the capital. The rains and the accompanying flooding have actually made life tiresome for them. For them, it is not only constructing drains, the major issue is channeling the water to the River Niger. To them, that is the only solution to the flood crisis in the area.

As was pointed out by Clement Ofuani, director general of the state capital territory development agency, fixing the roads is hardly the solution to the perennial flooding. In a radio interview, Ofuani pointed out that even if the highest quality of road construction work was done by the best contractors, the road would not be sustainable until the drainages were fixed and properly channeled.

It was also observed by some residents that in some parts of the road, around the junction of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, the drain holes which are expected to receive water from the road into the drains, are actually higher than the road itself as the road is yet to be properly filled, making it near impossible for the water to exit through the channel.

For Mr. Jeremiah Odoko, a business man who has his outlet around legislative quarters Okpanam road, a major road that connects Asaba to the nearby Okpanam and also houses major government parastatals, institutions and agency, the road has just not been given a fair treatment. He said previous administrations in the state have consistently abandoned the road, ostensibly for political reasons.

Legit.ng learnt that the administration of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan paid lip service to the road because most civil servants in the state capital refused voting for him during the 2011 general elections, hence it was alleged that he deliberately abandoned the road as a form of punishment for the civil servants who are resident in the area.

The Okpanam road is the longest road in Asaba running from Okpanam through Interbau, the popular Nnebisi road and berthing at Abraka market through to the expressway connecting Onitsha, the business city of Anambra state.

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Odoko told Legit.ng: “A lot of businesses are sited on this road, and this road ought to be the first major road in Asaba because of the agencies and structures on it. But they are yet to find a workable and permanent solution to the flooding. When someone drives through this road during the dry season, he is tempted to believe that all is well except for the dust, but as soon as the rains begin, the story is different.

“There was one heavy rain one evening sometime last year, and no tricycle could even pass this road. Even some car owners were afraid to go through the road, because for vehicles that are very low, the water level was almost entering through the windows. All of them were just diverting from Inter-bau roundabout to take the express. It’s not just fair on us,” he lamented.

Another resident, Mrs. Blessing Tare, explained that even the construction work done on some parts of the road from February 2017 has had minimal impact on the flooding as the roads remain heavily flooded when the rains pour. The construction work which, according to her, only touched some parts of the road and was neither thoroughly done nor completed, has done little to better the situation of the road.

Clement Ofuani, in his radio interview, insisted that even though the government was ready to work on the flooding problem, no road could be handled in isolation as the situation was still being studied for permanent resolution.

Ofuani, whose agency is in charge of the development of the capital city and adjourning communities, expressed certainty that with the completion and approval of the master plan for the capital territory, which also covers the drainage system, flooding will soon become a thing of the past in the entire city of Asaba.

He added that when the plan is further implemented, and all the drains properly channeled and linked to the river bodies, there would be no reason for water to still be found on Asaba roads. Deducing from his explanation, one can simply say that the flooding of Okpanam road simply awaits the completion, approval and implementation of the capital city master plan, which date remains a mystery.

But on Thursday June 1, 2017, a heavy downpour led to massive flooding in major parts of the state capital and the okpanam road. It was a terrible scene at the Okpanam road as the water swelled heavily on the road.

Many cars sank in the deep and dirty water that took over the area. While some lost their engines to the water, others were forced to park pending when the water would reduce. Commuters were forced to trek long distances because commercial tricycles and bus drivers could not ply the routes.

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The development compelled the governor to apologise to residents of the state capital, having understood the devastating impact of the flood on the people of Asaba. In a statement made available by his chief press secretary, Charles Aniagwu, the governor promised addressing the perennial flooding that has continued to ravage residents of Asaba and Okpanam.

Governor Okowa said the state government feels the pains and the anguish of residents who passed through horrendous times as a result of the perennial flooding in town. In the statement, he assured residents that government would not rest until the issue is addressed to a logical conclusion.

He said: “We apologise to all Deltans, particularly those whose cars and houses were damaged. We seek your understanding as efforts are on to bring a lasting solution to the menace.”

The Governor noted that previous government over the years, made concerted efforts to address drainage challenges in the state capital, noting: “But our analysis of the erosion challenge reveals that we needed to undertake a major restructuring of the drainage system to accommodate the volume of water.

“However, the delay in completing the drainage project was a result of our resolve to restructure the drains to accommodate the volume of water in addition to constructing a structure that would endure the test of time.

“Though we were challenged by the paucity of funds that greeted the state in more than 18 of the 24 months of our administration, we remain committed to doing the right thing for our people.”

Efforts to ascertain the state of the construction work on the Okpanam road following the initial plan of completion in February 2017, the cost of construction and other issues were unsuccessful because the state commissioner for works, James Augoye, in whose purview lies road construction and other constructions, failed to pick calls, neither did he respond to text messages sent to his phone.

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Source: Legit.ng