Flood has wreaked havoc in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, destroying houses, property and farmlands.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha on Wednesday reported that Ogbaru is a flood-prone community in Anambra, which has continually suffered devastation in the past years.
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NAN also reported that the flooding followed persistent rainfall that caused the rise of the water level from the River Niger.
A NAN correspondent who visited the area said some residents were seen wading through the waters, while houses, farmlands, and private and public facilities were submerged.
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According to NAN, residents now paddle wooden canoes to their destinations, as the roads in the area have been submerged.
When contacted, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Paul Odenigbo, disclosed that all residents in water-prone areas were well sensitised about the impending flood that is expected this year.
Mr Odenigbo said the Anambra State Government had prepared a haven for those who would be affected by flooding, adding that personnel were on the ground to evacuate affected residents when the floods became unbearable.
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He noted that this was the early stage, and the water would continue to rise daily.
“All water-prone areas in Anambra were well sensitised about the flood situation; they were not taken unaware, and the agency is preparing its staff who work in the field to mitigate the flooding.
“They are also getting the holding centres ready, by preparing them, fumigating them and preparing them for occupation by people who are going to be affected by the flood, it’s a normal thing at this stage,” he said.
READ ALSO: Three Nigerian states unveil plans to tackle flooding
When asked if the people would not be adamant to evacuate to a haven, he explained that such resistance could happen with some residents, as the agency experiences it yearly.
“The high water is not a new thing to them, they have been living with it year in, year out, it’s not the way you are seeing it, they are seeing it. When you tell them to go, they laugh at you, because to them, nothing has happened.
NAN could not get the reaction of the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odumegwu, as he did not respond to phone calls and text messages.
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