Days after heavy downpour submerged parts of the Trademore Estate at Lugbe, Airport road, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has declared the area a disaster zone.
Already, the administration says it is looking to begin evacuation of residents from the estate, so as to prevent further casualties from the perennial floods witnessed in the area.
Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Olusade Adesola, who led a team for an on the spot assessment of the affected area, said firm actions needed to be taken, given the magnitude of the devastation recorded after the heavy rainfall that fell last week Friday.
He frowned at the “developmental challenges occasioned by the nature of the drainage constructed against water ways and roads in the area.”
Adesola, said the flooding incident at Trademore Estate was among the issues reviewed at the FCT Monthly Security Committee meeting, where officials considered necessary actions needed to mitigate property damage and casualty from flooding in FCT.
He however added that the FCDA Executive Secretary, who chairs the Taskforce on Flood Mitigation in FCT, the CP and other officials of the FCTA particularly FEMA, Development Control, AEPB are now ready to go and evolve solutions that would immediately address the menace.
“We just visited Trademore to see the developmental challenges occasioned by the nature of the drainage constructed against water across the roads in the area. We have seen the need to look into this urgently.
“We were quite amazed at the level of flooding that occurred there (Trademore Estate). More particularly is the risk that people took – to build in such a low level plain. While on the road, we saw that even the roof of the houses were bellow the road level, which makes them vulnerable to flooding.
“The taskforce will immediately swing to action to make recommendations on urgent issues or attention that must be given to the area. As we cannot fold our hands and allow the destruction to continue.
“We were amazed that only two days after the flood, people have returned to some of the properties. So, in a couple of days, we will be taking appropriate action. Having seen the extent of the flooding, we hereby declare the Trademore Estate area a disaster zone that needs immediate action to remedy further damages and lost of lives and properties.
“So, we will look at a programme of evacuating people from those areas, so as to ensure that we prevent the loss of lives and property.
“For the rest of the year, rain predictions show that there might still be more heavy rains, which means that there could be damages and casualty. And the FCTA will do everything possible within its power to ensure that we mitigate such occurrence.
Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Engr. Shehu Ahmad, who is also Chairman, Taskforce on Flood Mitigation in FCT, appealed to residents to exercise restraints in flood prone areas during season and avoid running into places they would be trapped.
While pledging that the FCTA would do everything possible to mitigate such occurrence the ES said, “We will look at a programme of evacuating people from those areas, so as to ensure that we prevent the loss of lives and property”.
At least 116 houses were reportedly submerged after the heavy rainfall that fell last week Friday.
