By Adeyinka Adeniran
Oyo state government on Wednesday said it has desilted over 153.11km of blocked drainages and culverts along major roads in the Ibadan metropolis, as a proactive measure to avert flood disasters.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, affirmed the figure, stating that the government saw it as imperative to clear the blocked drains and culverts of all debris like nylon, bottles, sand, wood, tyres among others.
Represented by the Director, Engineering Department of the Ministry, Engr. Oladipo Adebowale, the Commissioner said this will avert impending and avoidable flooding calamities in the state.
The Commissioner, during the on-the-spot assessment tour of the Ministry officials, in conjunction with those of Oyo State Project Performance Monitoring Agency and Office of the Auditor General (State), while commending the visionary steps of the present Government on the desilting of the drainages, warned against further atrocity of refuse dumps in unauthorized places.
He reiterated that blocking drains and culverts is a big offense, which aside from causing flooding, destroys the asphaltic layers of the roads, warned that culprits of refuse dumps would face the wrath of the State Environmental Law.
Among the desilted drainages include: Total Garden to Beere, Iyaganku to Odo-ona, to Apata, Total Jericho to Alesinloye Round about, Sango-Eleyele to Ologuneru, Ijokodo-Apete-Awotan, Olunde to Olojuoro Road and several others.
