Residents of Biogbolo, Kpansia, Amarata and Onopa in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, have called on the state government to take advantage of the coming dry season to effectively deal with the problem of flood which has over the years threatened the areas during rainy season.
They complained that the road construction has taken so long that when the rain comes it floods their homes because of the poor networking of drainages, adding that the canals are blocked with debris thereby hindering free flow of water which their communities suffer the impacts all through the rainy season.
Tonye Embelakpo, a residence in Captain Ayeni street Kpansia, stated that they are usually the worst hit by the flood whenever the rain comes due to the absence of good drainage system, as most of the water are suppose to through to the main canals.
Ebiere Awolo, a trader at Amarata decried the swampy nature of their area when the rain falls. She noted that when rain falls the water level is so high that it can even sallow vehicles. she noted that some other ares around Ekeki are nothing to talk about.
She cited the old Assembly Quarters that is usually flooded and nothing reasonable has been done by government, adding that commuters bear the pains of going through that road when it rains.
A residence in Dim rose Biogbolo, Mr. Chukwuka Obi, stated that their area is always flooded during the rainy season and it causes heavy traffic congestion, noting that most of the traders on the street do not open their shops for days until the water leaves.
He lamented that the residents had to fill sacks with sand and line them along routes to their houses and shops to act as water breakers in their bid to stop water from destroying their properties. He noted that the problem has persisted for several years but no government has ever thought of making drainage to help the residences discharge water logs around them even when the rains are heavy.
“The drains are expected to discharge into the canal but the canals are not moving, and there are no good drainage in the state, the channels are blocked and whenever the rains comes it brings out every harmful materials in the canals and deposit them in our homes which is dangerous to our health, it is something government has to tackle quickly to avoid further harms.
