Lagos State Govt alerts residents of heavier rains in 2014

The Lagos State Government yesterday alerted residents in the state that 2014 would possibly witness heavier rainfall than the previous years, taking cognisance of the pattern of rainfall since January.

The state government, consequently, urged stakeholders across the state including traders, community leaders and artisans among others to desist from dumping wastes on canals and drainage channels.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, disclosed this while inspecting the System V Drainage Channel, which runs from Yaba through Animashaun in Surulere to Ajegunle in Ajeromi Ifelodun.

The commissioner, who led a team of government officials to inspect the drainage channels, acknowledged that rain would be heavier in 2014 compared with the pattern of rainfall in the previous seasons.

He explained that the United Kingdom “has started experiencing rainfall already. In Lagos, we have been experiencing rainfall since the beginning of this year. Weather has indeed changed. There is possibility that we are going to have heavy rainfall this year. As a result, we need to prepare ahead.”

The commissioner, therefore, asked the market leaders, artisans and community leaders among others in all parts of the state to join hands with the state government to make adequate preparation ahead of 2014 rainy season.

Bello urged them to desist from dumping wastes in the canals and trading on the drainage channels, noting that such practice could complicate incident of erosion and flooding in all parts of the state.