The Enugu State has rolled out safety measures and other strategies aimed at mitigating incidents of flooding and accompanying health hazards across the state, saying its emergency response plan had been perfected to address such challenges.
It explained that the need to protect and prevent residents across the state from witnessing impact flooding necessitated the measures and emergency response plan in line with the government’s commitment to people’s welfare.
The State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said that the early preparation had become imperative as part measures to mitigate negative impact of the yearly flooding being experienced across the country.
Speaking on Wednesday while receiving a delegation of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who were in the state on flood advocacy visit, Ugwuanyi who was the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nkechi Eneh, assured that all hands would be on deck to mitigate flooding across the state.
He said the state had received tremendous human and material support from NEMA in the areas of capacity building, training and relief materials after recorded cases of flooding yearly with huge negative impacts.
Ugwuanyi said that the state was also aware of the 2020 flooding as predicted by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMeT).
“As part of the ongoing implementation of the state’s emergency response plan to mitigate flooding and its devastating impact; we have engaged council chairmen and various chairmen of the Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) to embark on the following:
“Organize flood sensitization campaign in communities most likely to be impacted and we have engaged in massive desilting of drainages to allow free flow of water.
“Put in place mechanism and sensitization to discourage dumping of refuse inside water channels and removal of water hyacinths or weeds from water channels to allow free flow of water,’’ he said.
Ugwuanyi also noted that the state Ministry of Health was already working on mechanisms to prevent public health hazards from flooding by providing emergency drugs for women and children affected by flooding.
“These include mass immunization of children in the 10 council areas predicted to be impacted by NIHSA through Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA). Another is the acquisition of mobile toilets through the state Ministry of Environment,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Director-General (DG)of NEMA, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (Rtd), called on the state to activate all contingency and emergency flood plans especially sensitization and preparation of all stakeholders.
Muhammed who was represented by NEMA Team Leader, James Eze, urged the state government to take proactive flood mitigation plans like opening of drains and waterways and massive flood sensitization campaigns in communities.
“There is a need to stock SEMA warehouses to enable swift reaction to supply food and non-food items to Internally Displaced Persons prior to NEMA and other stakeholders’ intervention,’’ he said.
