The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has partnered with the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA) to prevent the escalation of flood in Ogun State.
NEMA announced this in a statement while providing an update on the flood situation in Ogun State on its official X account on Saturday afternoon.
That is after the NEMA Lagos Territorial Office (LTO) on Friday, October 11, 2024 commenced the monitoring and assessment of rising water level across many communities along river water channels that link Ogun State and some communities in Lagos State.
NEMA said the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (ORBDA) which is responsible for the release of the dam water and had earlier advised residents living in flood prone areas, particularly along riverbanks, to temporarily relocate or brace for potential flooding ahead of the planned release of water from the dam.
The agency said this was done as part of the measures to prevent the dam from collapse but currently, the water level is increasing on a daily basis, thereby, causing submergence of houses, roads, loss of farm lands, disruption of socio-economic activities and displacement of families.
According to NEMA, the communities impacted are Kara, Ikosi ketu, Mile 12, Ajegunle, Owode, Odo-Ogun and Agboyi.
At Itowolu, a community primary school has been partially submerged despite the pathway being raised with a wooden plank for the pupils and teachers to move from one place to another.
More importantly, the debris and water hyacinth plants carried along by the flood water have caused blockage under one of the bridges along Ikorodu axis posing a risk of structural defects.
The condition of many children, women, people Living with Disability (PLWD) and the aged is not good as most of them do not have access to basic support such as clean water, food and non-food items.
“The LTO in collaboration with LASEMA and the affected communities will be meeting to discuss the humanitarian area of concern, as part of the measures to prevent the escalation of the flood situation,” NEMA said.
