Flooding: Town planners urge residents on responsibility

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has urged residents of the territory to act responsibly in order to avert flooding.

The NITP Vice Chairman I of the chapter, Tpl Lami Ayuba, who made the call at the 2021 World Environment Day celebration in Abuja, also enjoined developers to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan.

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Tpl Ayuba who identified blocking of drains and unapproved buildings on flood plains as the major causes of flooding in the nation’s capital, also called on the government to engage town planners at every stage of development for proper planning, monitoring and management of the capital city.

She said, “For us to secure lives and property, we should adhere to the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan by ensuring that all drainage channels are cleared, seeking approval before commencing any development, avoiding building along river banks and flood-prone areas and reporting any suspicious development to the appropriate agencies to avoid dumping of waste along water channels.”

She lamented that in 2020, a family of five was swept away by a flood at Giri in the FCT, while houses were submerged in some areas amid loss of property, adding that floods had claimed lives and property.