BY John Odhe, YENAGOA
As part of efforts to mitigate the effects of flood and erosion, the Bayelsa State government has commenced clearing of creeks, canals and other water channels in the State capital and its surroundings ahead of the predicti 2026 flood season.
This, the government is doing through the State’s Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control.
According to a statement by the director general of the directorate, Mr. Wilson Omuso, desilting exercise had already commenced at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Obele and Osiri Road areas in the State capital.
He noted that additional equipment had been deployed to other disaster channels in the State to speed up the mitigation exercise.
He pointed out that other flashpoints were the canal at Goodnews Road, Azikoro and that of Akenfa community respectively.
The directorate urged residents to stop dumping refuse into creeks and canals, warning that defaulters would face sanctions.
Residents were also advised to avoid building structures to block water channels, adding that such acts could lead to flash flooding in the neighbourhoods.
The statement also urged residents, especially children, to stay away from desilting sites for safety sake as the exercise continued across the state.
The directorate called on community leaders to advise their youths against disrupting the ongoing mitigation work.
