Lagos govt pledges to stem blockage of drains

The Lagos State Government on Thursday pledged to stem flooding by reducing incidences of blockage of natural drainage systems in the state.

Mr Toyin Ayinde, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, gave the assurance while presenting a paper titled “Lagos State Master Plan: Sustaining the Built Environment’’ at the ongoing seventh Lagos Climate Change Summit in Lagos.

The theme of the summit is: “Seven Years of Climate Change Governance in Lagos Celebrating Success Stories, Reviewing Challenges and Setting Future Agenda.”

According to him, the 1980 Lagos Metropolitan Master Plan captures all the natural drainages but the plan was truncated until the democratic dispensation in 1999.

“Naturally, Lagos has been planned to drain effectively and as such, there is no reason for the flooding as being experienced today.

“Master Plan helps to put the infrastructure in a sustainable manner with equitable distribution in space.

“However, over time, some of the natural drainages were blocked while more than 35 green areas and 35 work malls being put to other uses,’’ he said.

Ayinde said that the master plan was designed to be climate change compliance but not abandoned.

He said that the ministry was combating climate change by educating people on the need not to build on all the plotted areas.

Ayinde pointed out that certain percentage of layouts were allocated to green space and recreation activities.

According to him, this would help to cool environment and provide places to absorb rain and other water.

“For anyone constructing, there is a percentage of plot committed to open space,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Mr Tunji Bello, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, said that the state was cooperating with Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority to ensure regulated time to discharge water to the Ogun River.

He explained that this collaboration has ensured reduction in flooding of areas prone to flooding in Lagos, when the basin discharges water into the river.

Bello said that excessive rainfall water would continue to be managed through relevant government agencies in charge of water resources.