Flood: NMetS cautions Nigerians against blocking canals, building on water ways

The President, Nigerian Meteorological Society, Prof. Clement Akoshile, on Thursday, cautioned Nigerians not to block drainage channels or building on water right of ways to avoid flooding.
Akoshile gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
He stated that the advice was important for the people living in both areas prone to flooding and areas experiencing drought or little rainfall.
He said: ‘‘Those areas prone to flood will still experience flooding in spite of the weather predictions.
‘‘So, people staying in those areas should not think that because of the expectation of smaller duration of rain, there will be no flooding.
‘‘Those in the far north that are not experiencing much rainfall may still experience flooding.
‘‘This is because the land there is hard that it cannot soak up water immediately, during and after rainfall.
‘‘They should be careful not to block the drainage channels as water still finds its level.”
Akoshile said that people should be careful in an environment that had the propensity to flooding to avoid casualties and destruction of property.
He said that government should not allow people to build houses on plain areas where rain water would easily wash away houses.
NMetS leader said that Nigerians must also imbibe proper waste disposal methods to stop garbage entering the drainage channels and blocking them.
He said that preventing the refuse from entering the drainage channels should start from the living areas and commercial centres.
According to him, it will help in reducing the sight of plastic containers, food ruminants, nylon bags and wrappers among others adorning roads and streets during and after rainfall.