THE flood disaster that ravaged many parts of Lagos metropolis a few days ago has once again exposed the deficiency of physical planning that characterises this mega city of over 10 million people. Lack of efficient flood control infrastructure, coupled with indiscriminate erection of structures on flood channels are to blame for the recurrent crisis. The way out is to adopt a systematic flood management plan that would involve restructuring and expanding the existing drainage infrastructure.The extent of destruction by the floods show that the effort of the Lagos State Government to minimise flooding in the city has not yielded the desired result. Mere clearing of blocked drainage channels of garbage has not helped matters. This is obvious from the flooding. The poorly constructed and ill-maintained open drainage channels are blocked no sooner than they were cleared.Most people still dump refuse indiscriminately on the streets and into the drains unperturbed. Quite often, debris cleared from the drains is washed back into the drains due to delay in evacuating them. The effort of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in this regard is not comprehensive, as it appears to concentrate on the major highways, neglecting the inner city suburbs where majority of Lagosians live, which is also where flood impacts are greatest.The latest flooding followed hours of torrential rains on June 27 through 28. The rain, which progressed to the early morning of June 28 and beyond resulted in massive floods that sent thousands of residents packing. People living along flood plains and in poorly constructed structures were mostly affected. Many residents were dazed as water seeped unceasingly from underneath the floor of their bedrooms flooding their homes. The experience was horrendous. Millions of people were sacked from their homes while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed as houses and fences collapsed.Practically, every part of Lagos was affected with streets flooded and several areas submerged. The problem was compounded by the poor infrastructure services in the metropolis. Dilapidated roads and makeshift bridges in many suburbs made movement of commuters and motorists daunting. Schools were shut as their compounds and roads leading to them were submerged. Cars were also submerged. A section of the Mushin-Ikeja railway line was reportedly washed away. Several people were feared killed, although the exact casualty was not ascertained.Given the recurrent nature of these floods over the years, the question arises as to why successive administrations in Lagos have failed to manage the flood effectively. Albeit Lagos is low-lying, the surrounding lagoon provides a natural avenue for flood evacuation. What it means is that with proper engineering design, there should be no flooding in the city. Flood waters should naturally drift into the lagoon.Unfortunately, this has not been the case, mainly due to half-hearted efforts. For instance, the construction of flood evacuation canals to address flooding years ago was an ad-hoc measure. There was nothing to show that the canals were part of a comprehensive flood control plan to tackle the problem on a permanent basis. The canals were consequently abandoned, no sooner than they were constructed, and thereafter turned into refuse dumps by residents.The inadequacy of the state government's efforts to contain the perennial Lagos flood is one more reason why the Federal Government should assist in resolving the problem, Lagos being the country's economic hub. It would appear that with the transfer of the nation's capital from to Abuja, the flood problem in Lagos has become the sole responsibility of the State Government. This should not be. The Federal Government should not abandon the state to face this challenge alone. It should rather collaborate with the Lagos State Government towards tackling this menace.While the fact of global climate change and its effects on the environment may not be ruled out, flooding in Lagos is largely man-made, having been caused by failure of successive administrations to provide efficient and functional drainage channels for flood evacuation, coupled with gross acts of indiscipline and violation of physical planning regulations by many residents.It is noteworthy that the flood also affected Ogun State in no small measure. Given the combination of natural and human factors that are aggravating the flooding in these states, it is high time the authorities tackle this threat in a more comprehensive way. The two states, with the Federal Government's assistance, should come up with a sustainable flood control plan that integrates engineering reconstruction of the existing drainage channels, efficient garbage collection and disposal, and public re-orientation on appropriate ways of disposing refuse.The time to start is now, considering that, from the prediction of meteorologists, more rains are expected this year.
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