The Lagos State Government on Sunday issued a fresh flood alert, leading some residents of the state to prepare for imminent flooding in the month of September.
This followed the release of an updated 2023 Water Releases Forecast for Flood Control by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Lekan Shodeinde, the affected catchment areas include Alagbole, Meiran, Maidan, Kara, Isheri-Olowora, Agiliti, Owode-Onirin, Owode-Elede, Agboyi I, Agboyi II, Ajegunle, Itowolo, Majidun, Ibeshe, Baiyeku and communities around the Lekki-Ajah corridor.
Shodeinde said the concern of the state government is safety of lives and properties, urging residents and property owners in the listed areas to be ready to move upland when the water level rises showing signs of flooding just as it is advisable to all residents across the state.
He explained that comparatively the total amount of rainfall recorded from January to August 2023 (1,128.6mm) is higher than that of January to August of the year 2021 (713.4mm) & 2022 (848.1mm).
The permanent secretary said comparatively, a total of 968.6mm was recorded as amount of rainfall for the 12 months of 2021, just as a total of 1,140 mm was the recorded amount of rainfall during the 12 months of 2022, while in the first 8 months of 2023, a quantum of 1,128.6mm has already been recorded which means when the remaining four months in the year is factored in’, a very high intensity of rainfall would be recorded for the whole year.
“When some of the other figures released by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority is further scrutinised for volume of water spilled, it shows that for the 12 months of 2021, 1,102mcm was spilled, while for the 12 months of 2022, a total of 1,475.6 mcm was spilled, while in the first eight months of this year, a total of 1,393,1mcm has already been spilled by the River Basin Authority pointing in the direction that more water will be released when factored with the remaining four months in 2023,” Shodeinde said.
The Permanent Secretary opined that the water levels of all tributaries including the Oyan Dam are rising and is one of the contributory factors to the possibility of the likely flooding at downstream flow of Ogun River.
He stressed that the same applies to all the channels and tributaries that discharges into the lagoon which may experience tidal lock and flow back because of the high water level that prevent discharges, leading to flash flooding.
Shodeinde added that the alert has become necessary because there is much water to be expected in September 2023 in addition to the heavy downpours usually associated with the months of September and December every year along Ogun River Basin and other related predictions and warning from Nigeria Metrological Services (NIMET), Nigeria Hydrological Services (NIHSA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)and other related agencies.