By Kingsley Adegboye
In its determination to ensure a flood-free Lagos in 2012, the Ministry of the Environment through the Office of Drainage Services has commenced what it called an “all year round drainage cleaning and maintenance programme” in the state.

The Commissioner for Environment  Mr. Tunji Bello explained that the Ministry  has drawn up a holistic monthly cleaning and maintenance programme to desilt drainage channels across the 57 Local Government Councils and Development Areas in the State.

Bellowho stated  that Lagosians would not forget in a hurry, the sad experiences of the severe flooding of July 10, 2011, said the flood of that day would ordinarily have consumed the state if not for the effective drainage system put in place by the state government.

As a responsible and proactive government, the commissioner said the time to act and commence serious work is now, given the prediction of experts that the rainfall in 2012 will be much heavier than that of last year.

The Office of Drainage Services has accordingly commenced the cleaning of drains in the different parts of the city. They include: Adekunle Fajuyi Road Ikeja, Works Road, GRA, Ikeja, Kodesoh Road, Ikeja, Simpson Street Lagos Island, and Sandgrouse Street Lagos Island.

Other areas are: Lanre Awolokun Street, Shomolu, College Road Ifako in Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government Area, Arowojobe Street, Oshodi, Agric/Oja Road, Ikorodu, Gemini/Coker, Surulere, Both sides of Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, Ogunmokun Street, Mushin.

According to the Commissioner, the monthly work programme is to clean drains on a monthly basis until the end of the year.

He listed the drains  to be cleaned in January. They are:  in Agege Local Government -Adealu Street collector, Elere channel, Rail Line_ Agunbiade- Owo channel, Balogun IIawe channel, Balogun IIawe_ Roche channel, POWA Shopping Complex to Oke-Koto, Abattoir to Oladoje Trapezoidal katangowa/Oko Oba Canal through Akilo Road.

Those to be cleaned in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government this month are Mba/ Cardoso Street, Tolu Road, Arakan Collector, Osho Drive Collector, Ogunniyi Collector, Alafia Street Collector, Tin Can Coconut Collector Drain.

In Alimosho Local Government, the drains programmed for cleaning  include Ishefun Road, Potokun Collector Drain, Karimu Laka Collector, Bamisile Road, Jimoh Akinremi Road off Akowojo, Sasa Akowonjo Road Collector, Akowonjo/ Egbeda /Isheri/ Igando Road Collector Drain,  Mosan Collector Channel, Command Road, Abaranje Collector Drain.

Bello explained that, while the cleaning and maintenance exercise is ongoing, the State Government will also continue to dredge and line earth channels to facilitate easy access and further maintenance programme in the state.

He revealed that the Ministry will also embark on massive public enlightenment campaign to educate the people on what they should to do to reduce the incidence of flooding and enhance public safety.

“The incidence of flooding is a global phenomenon that is not peculiar to Lagos alone, but we however urge Lagosians to cooperate with the state Government in its concerted effort to fight flood, by properly disposing their waste into designated areas and desist from dumping refuse into canals, as well as refrain from erecting structures along drainage channels,” he said.