The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Edo State has alerted residents on imminent floods in the state and the need to clear drainages to reduce the impact of floods, especially in flood-prone areas.
The head of the agency in the Edo Operations Office, Mr Dahiru Yusuf, made the call in Benin at a workshop on 2022 Flood Preparedness, Mitigation, and Response, organised for stakeholders on disaster management.
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He said the call became imperati
ve following the 2022 seasonal climate prediction that forecasted that there would be high rainfall across the country.
“Drainages, culverts and all waterways should be cleared for water to flow freely without affecting buildings and also reduce the impact of flood, especially in the urban centres,” he said.
He advised riverine communities to start moving to higher grounds when the volume of water increases because consistent rainfall would increase the water levels of different rivers across the state.
Dahiru said the predicted rainfall for Etsako East, Etsako Central, and Esan South-East Local Government Area would be slightly high and likely to experience floods along the banks of the River Niger.
He, therefore, called on farmers in the areas to be guided by the predictions to avoid loss of lives and resources, saying, “NEMA would continue to sensitise the people on the risks associated with flooding.”
