Torrential Rainfall: Flood Submerge Homes, Offices In Bayelsa Capital
Residents of the Bayelsa State capital yesterday came under heavy flooding following Monday torrential rainfall that submerged homes and offices in the state.
Most of the occupants of affected homes and offices blamed the renewed flooding on the ongoing expansion of roads and other infrastructural projects being executed by the present administration in the state.
They accused the contractors handling the projects of not providing space for drainage system. Areas affected include Azikoro Road, Ekeki; Road Safety Road, Ovom; Diete-Spiff Road, Ovom; Elebele Road, Opolo; Bayelsa Palm Ring Road and Swali Round About-Ekoli Bridge Road where dualisation work is taking place.
The residents cried that the ugly situation had become worrisome as they scoop water from their houses each time it rained heavily.
Mr Ifiemi Macaulay, a resident of Ekeki-Yenagoa, said the flooding had increased the number of mosquitoes and other dangerous insects especially at night.
According to the father of five, two of his children had undergone bouts of malaria attack in recent times, adding he is afraid the entire family might be invaded by malaria in no distant time.
“Our problem in this area is that our houses get flooded whenever there is heavy rainfall. We observe that this Azikoro Road they are expanding, they have covered the drainage that there was previously there”, Macaulay said.
A resident of Ovom, Yenagoa, Madam Oyoyo Ebisentei, complained that the flooding was disturbing her means of livelihood as the spot where she roasts plantain and fish for her customers usually gets flooded whenever it rained.
An environmentalist, Mr. Jackson Akama, wondered why the scope of design of the roads did not include a drainage system that would channel water away.
“It’s unthinkable in these modern times that the design of road, whether dualized or newly constructed, will not have the component of drainage. With the warnings by NIMET,this is one factor that a state like Bayelsa should not lose sight of”, Akama suggested.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, proved abortive but a senior official in the Ministry, who pleaded anonymity, said government would fix drainage on all roads being constructed.
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