As part of the efforts to ensure flood management and sustainable drainage networking, agencies of Government in Lagos State over the weekend met to strategize on the adaptation of the Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) in the State.
At a stakeholders forum held at the State Secretariat, Ikeja over the weekend, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Engr. Lekan Shodeinde said it’s necessary for the State to bring up a homogenised drainage master plan comparable to that of roads and transportation.
He said all master plans in every sector of the State must be developed simultaneously for a model City plan to be achieved, saying that there is a need for drainage infrastructure master plan to combat the problem of flooding in Lagos.
He said what Lagos normally experiences is flash flooding caused by the torrential rainfalls which in volume is more than what the available drainage system can contain, adding that the flash flood usually subsides within hours.
He urged Lagosians to create retention and storage amenities in their homes for storage of storm water to assist in containing flooding in the State.
He said these storage facilities will serve as reservoir for harvesting storm water at the peak of the rainy season for later domestic use or slow discharge into the drains after rainfall.
Shodeinde, explained that this retention facilities have become essential as Lagos in recent times had been experiencing persistent rainfalls adding that flooding all over the world was rated as the second biggest of all natural disasters.
He stated that God being the master planner designed it that whenever it rained, 50% of rain water should be absorbed into the ground through deep and shallow percolation, 40% to stay on foliage being trees, grasses and other greens while only 5-10% of storm water is expected to flow into the drains.
Shodeinde said due to modernization, a lot of residents have concretized the floor of their homes thereby throwing out 90% of rain storm water into the drains adding that residents should try to replicate this natural phenomenon as this distortion is the real cause of flooding in the state.
He said the Ministry in synergy with other stakeholders and professional bodies in the building sector will guarantee there is a change in the construction methodology and approval process adding that this will ensure the creation of rain water storage facilities in each compound.
Chairman, House Committee on The Environment, Hon. Rotimi Abiru who was also at meeting called for an improved synergy and stakeholders involvement for a proper model City master plan to be achieved.
He said the state had a master plan which serves as a guide for development adding that for whatsoever reason there should not be a deviation from the master plan.
In his contribution, Perm Sec, Office of Works, Arch Adebayo Odusanya said the time has come for all agencies in the built and environment sector to go beyond just inviting sister agencies to stakeholders summit to merely rubber stamp decisions, but must involved in the planning and execution stages for optimum results.
Present at the stakeholders forum were technocrats in the built and environment sector.
Signed
Kunle Adeshina
Director (Public Affairs)
MOE &WR
February 5th 2023