Flooding: Relocate to safe zone, Ebonyi SEMA urges residents

 

Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (EB-SEMA) has urged residents in the prone communities in the state to relocate to a safe location in order to avoid lose of lives when flood occurred.

The Executive Secretary in the state,  Mr Ken Oziomaeze told reporters on Thursday in Abakaliki, that the relocation became necessary due to the annual forecast for 2020 rainfall prediction by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

Oziomaeze said the rainfall outlook has identified some flood risk areas in some states and Ebonyi happens to be among. 

The Secretary, who decried the reoccurring of flooding incident in the state said, eight out of the 13 local government areas of the state have been identified as flood  risk areas.

"The local governments are: Ohaoazara,.Onicha, Ikwo, Afikpo North, Ezza South, Ohaukwu, Ezza North and Ezza South. These eight local governments are constantly affected by flood annually.

"From NIHSA prediction, some areas are  highly probable flood risk, while some are probable. In Ebonyi State, the prediction identified three Local governments as highly probable while five are just probable.

"The incident of flood has become recurrent in our state as a result of climate change.

“It is imperative to step up plans and measures against the prediction as the season moves towards the peak.

"I urge all residents at the prone zones to relocate to a safe location to avoid lose of lives. Do not plant in those areas for now because the prediction shows that the flood may occurred between September and October, 2020.

"Relocate to safe safe zone, may be during the dry season, you can return back and if you have your farm or crops, harvest them now and stop any further planting.

"To curb flooding, the general public should desist from building and blocking of water channels because, this flood sometimes, occurs when water is being released from dam. 

"The SEMA in the state has been on aggressive public awareness to enlighten people not to indulge in the dumping of waste in drainage systems and waterways," Oziomaeze said.