Lagos provides maps for flood management

Lagos State Government on Wednesday said it had provided maps showing the topography of lands in the state to all the chairmen of 57 local governments and local council development areas in the state. The action is to enable the council authorities to have an idea of likely areas that could be flooded and prepare an emergency action plan.

The government also said the council bosses were expected to persuade residents of the flood-prone areas to vacate their homes to avert disaster.

Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, said this during a visit of the officials of the state Emergency Management Authority to the Lagos Island Local Government and the Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area.

Ahmed, who led the team, said, “The government has produced maps showing low line and high lands in the state. Residents of the flood-prone areas may likely experience more floods than the residents of the high grounds.

“Depending on the intensity of the rainfall, we expect flash floods, despite the fact that the state has invested so much in building new drains and clearing and de-silting old ones.

“The Ministry of the Environment has developed a map to enable us know where there will be flooding when there is intense rainfall.”

The commissioner added that the visit was an advocacy and capacity building one for the council authorities who are the first emergency response officers in their domains. He urged the council chairmen to join hands with the government in empowering and equipping their local emergency committees.

He said, “Supposing there is a disaster in any council, the response from the state emergency team from Alausa may not be as prompt as we want, hence, the need to equip the local emergency committee members at the grass roots.

“This is because local emergency teams will be able to do something before the arrival of the state disaster management team.”

Earlier, the chairman of Lagos Island East LCDA, Kamal Bashua, said the compact nature of buildings on Lagos Island also makes it necessary to strengthen local emergency managers in the council.



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