A panel of discussants at a one-day seminar organised by the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Rivers State chapter has urged the Rivers State Government to revisit the Port Harcourt flood master plan initiated by the immediate past administration.
The panel which was made up of members of the academia, government officials and other stakeholders also called for the enforcement of relevant environmental laws in the state, while the government should intensify efforts towards the desilting of lands to ensure easy flow of waters.
Speaking on the to topic: “The 2017 Flooding in Port Harcourt” an Associate Professors, Institute of Geoscience and Space Technology, Rivers State University (RSG), Dr. Precious Ede, said that dumping of refuse into the canals is partly responsible for the incessant flooding being experienced in Port Harcourt. Dr. Ede also said that climate change has led to increase in flooding not only in Port Harcourt but in other cities across the world stressing that time has come for the world, to address the problem of climate change.
The University Don also condemned the incessant building of structures on water right of ways and called on the government to check the trend.
Also speaking, the Director flooding, Rivers State Ministry of Environment, Sir Lawrence Igwe, said that the government is making effort to desilt the lands for easy flow of waters.
Sir Igwe also said that government is working hard to check the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the lands.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Chairman of Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Rivers State, Mr. Adewale Adeyemi, said that the society would continue to work with relevant agencies to check flooding in the state.
Adeyemi said that part of the strategies is to organise series of seminars for stakeholders to contribute their opinion on the issue.
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NES Wants RSG To Revisit PH Flood Masterplan
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