Farmers in 15 communities of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have started panic harvesting over the fear of flood menace.
The communities have been suffering from perennial flood disasters around August of every year.
An investigation by our reporter revealed that many of the farmers obtained loans from Banks of Agriculture and suffered a severe loss last year.
The President General of the Akili-Ogidi community, Mr Micheal Chukwuse, said the locals had decided to take their destiny into their own hands.
“If the farmers do not evacuate their produce now, it would be too late for them when we get to the months of September and October.
“By that time people would be relocating to the upland and the farm produce would have been washed away by the flood and you cannot have access to the farms,” he said.
The Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Chinedu Obidigwe, said that he had completed arrangements for the provision of relief materials and palliatives for the possible victims of flood disaster.
He said he had also ordered delivery of farm seedlings for the next farming season.
“As I speak with you the affected communities would receive relief materials as well as crops for cultivation for next year and we are looking at issuing soft loans and grants through the Bank of Agriculture to cushion the effects of the flood,” he said.
He said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had been briefed on the early establishment of the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, noting that medical personnel were being posted to the areas to take care of the medical needs of the flood victims.
Also, the Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odumegwu, in his reaction said the state government had begun clearing drains and demolishing structures built on waterways.
He also said that sensitisation programmes had commenced in those communities for them to begin to relocate early to safe places.
He added that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) was already interfacing with NEMA for more prompt and proactive actions toward reducing the level of destruction by the flood.
He appealed to those along the river line communities to heed the directives of the meteorologist on flood disasters.
