In continuation of its flood control efforts in its mandate areas, the Warri, Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency, WUEDA, has intensified the de-silting of blocked drains on many streets including Apala and Fani Kayode streets in Okumagba Layout of Warri, to open up the channels for free flow of rain water so as to avoid heavy flooding and its negative implications.
WUEDA’s engineers, led by Engr. Obruche Okeme who defied the heavy rains, were on ground to ensure that the de-silting exercise was thoroughly carried out towards achieving maximum results. The joints between gutters that were blocked by solid wastes and concrete were opened up, while entrances leading to residential premises and shops blocked with concrete, were all cleared to allow free flow of flood water.
Other areas being attended to include Ekpan towards the expressway, Ugborikoko and Refinery Road where WUEDA has embarked on an aggressive clean-up exercise by de-silting drains and evacuating the debris from the drainage channels, as well as sands and weeds from the sides and kerbs of the road.
Graders were used to scrape the sands and weeds from the road sides into waiting trucks; the weeds on the kerbs were also removed to give the road the face lift it deserved, in line with the MORE Agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
The WUEDA DG, Hon. Godwin Ejinyere and his team of engineers were on ground to supervise the ongoing massive clean-up exercise that has lasted for about a week now since the public holidays, promising to replicate same in other parts of the mandate areas of the Agency.
The Director General of WUEDA said the exercise was the Agency’s ongoing efforts at de-flooding all flood-prone parts of the Metropolis. He said he had earlier led the technical team of WUEDA to ascertain the flooding situation in many areas, and discovered that some drains were badly blocked by wastes dumped by careless residents.
Prince Ejinyere said, “Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was fully prepared to take Warri, Effurun and their environs beyond their lost glories through the instrumentality of WUEDA, stressing that the Agency would not compromise on that mandate.
He disclosed the Agency’s plan to construct a storm water drainage channel from Apala Street through Peggy Hotel by Airport Road to link the Phase 3 of the Warri-Uvwie flood control project that had been awarded, to further de-flood the area.
Hon. Ejinyere urged residents of the area and other parts of the Oil City to watch over cleared drainages to ensure that nobody dropped wastes into them, to forestall repeated blocking of the drains.
He charged residents to support WUEDA’s flood control efforts by clearing the drains in front of their shops, houses, and offices, moreso, now that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has declared a cholera state of emergency in parts of Nigeria. The Agency’s flood control effort in its mandate areas continues.
