The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, has cautioned FCT residents against blocking drainages and building along river banks to avert flooding.
Vice-Chairman of the chapter, Mrs. Lami Ayuba said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Ayuba, who spoke at the 2021 World Environment Day held in Abuja, also enjoined developers to adhere strictly to provisions of the Abuja Master Plan.
She identified human activities such as blocking of drainages, not seeking approval before commencement of any development and construction along river banks or flood-prone areas as the major causes of flooding in the FCT.
She urged residents to report any suspicious development to appropriate agencies and avoid the dumping of wastes along water channels.
Ayuba urged the government at all levels to engage town planners at every stage of development for proper planning, monitoring, and management of the territory.
She lamented wanton destruction of lives and property occasioned by previous floods.
” For us to secure lives and property, we should adhere to provisions of the Abuja Master Plan by ensuring that all drainages are clear, seek approval before commencing any development, avoid building along river banks and flood-prone areas,” she said.
The vice-chairman said that flooding had been identified as the most common and costly natural disaster.
According to her, flooding has dealt devastating blows in urban and rural areas of Nigeria in the past decade and is expected to increase due to more heavy rainstorms, potentially caused by climate change.
She said that in 2020, a family of five was swept off by flood in Giri community in Gwagwalada Area Council, while houses were submerged in some areas with loss of property.
Ayuba stated that floods always claimed lives and property without discriminating between any class of the population.
Source: (NAN)
