Diri’s Aide on Environment, NGO Push for Water Channel Cleanup to Reduce Flooding in BayelsaThe Office of the Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Government on Environment, in partnership with Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD), has intensified advocacy for clearing natural waterways to reduce flooding.The campaign was highlighted during an advocacy meeting between Technical Adviser on Environment 1, Chief Alagoa Morris, and the Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control in Yenagoa.Morris commended the directorate for clearing natural water channels and creeks.He called for legislation establishing the directorate to guarantee its continuity and protect it from policy changes by future administrations.Morris also urged the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to empower the agency to remove structures obstructing natural water channels.He said the agency should collaborate with relevant bodies to construct elevated shelters for residents displaced during flooding.Morris further appealed for flood control projects to be extended beyond Yenagoa to other flood-prone local government areas across the state.Director-General of the Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control, Chief Omuso Wilson, blamed persistent flooding on the blockage of natural drainage channels.Wilson disclosed that Yenagoa was thought to have nine natural water channels, however deployment of modern technology has identified about 54 additional channels requiring regular maintenance.He described the Epie Creek as the city’s major natural drainage route but lamented that blockages have reduced its capacity to discharge floodwaters.Wilson said the agency has constructed elevated grounds in some local government areas for flood victims but requires increased funding to expand such interventions.ECARD Programme Manager, Mr. Henry Adike, said Bayelsa’s fragile ecosystem demands careful environmental planning and sustained collaboration among stakeholders.He said recent research conducted in Sagbama, Ogbia, Nembe, Brass and Yenagoa identified flooding as a major concern across the communities.According to Adike, residents stressed the need for long-term solutions to floodwaters affecting the state and future generations.He urged authorities to identify and preserve Bayelsa’s natural drainage network, stressing that ECARD remains committed to partnering with the state government to build a safer environment.
