Lagos State Government has reminded residents, especially those close to the banks of the Ogun River to be on the alert as more water will be released from Oyan Dam this month.
According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, 23 million cubic meters of water will be released during the month which is the peak.
He explained that the release from the Oyan Dam which is the highest is as a result of the intensive rainfalls which will also climax in the current month.
He enjoined all residents of Agboyi -Ketu, Owode Onirin, Isheri, Ajegunle, Agiliti, Kara, Majidun and all areas bothering the rivers and the sea in Lagos to be very wary of the staggered release.
He said the alert has become necessary because the projected heavy rainfall which resumed in September will continue with high intensity this month leading to staggered release of water from the dam.
In his words: “For a coastal city like Lagos, let me remind everyone that once it rains consistently for a minimum of 8 hours, we are bound to have flash flood caused by increasing inability of effective discharge into the lagoon which is brought about by a rise of the ocean level.
“This will automatically lock up all our drainages and until the water level goes down, the drainages would be unable to discharge”.
“Flash floods is not peculiar to Lagos. It is the new wave in most coastal cities around the world including those who have adopted the best of technological advancements to curtail flooding”.
He urged residents to adopt an attitudinal change of not dumping refuse in drainage channels and erecting structures on drainage alignments, vowing that culprits would be punished.
