Heavy Floods Threaten Asaba Business, Residents

              Heavy Floods Threaten Asaba Business, Residents  

 Several hours of torrential downpour in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Monday has left numerous residents counting their losses as many people have been sacked from their houses and offices.

Worst hit are flood-prone areas of Asaba, including parts of Okpanam Road, Anwai Road and Inter-Bau/Summit Roundabout, DSS/Court roads as well as Jesus Saves Road, DLA/Ibusa roads, with some areas completely submerged following the heavy rains that started since very early in the morning when people were just preparing for work and continued into late afternoon.

Asaba residents were jolted by the downpour, coming after barely two days respite from similar heavy rains in the town much of last Friday and Saturday, which debated many areas and flooded numerous homes within the metropolis and surrounding areas.

Some of the popular offices flooded on Monday include the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) office complex, whose fence fell flat on the strength of the huge floods, Women Affairs Primary School Asaba as well as some private business offices on Okpanam Road that also houses many public offices and banks.

THISDAY checks revealed many children could not go to school in Asaba on Monday as their apprehensive parents would not let them owing to the heavy downpour.

Many workers and traders also stayed away from work in areas well-known for excessive and perennial flooding and where the attention of governor meant has consistently been drawn for remediation. 

However, the State Commissioner for Environment, Mr John Nani, a assured that the government was already working hard at addressing the situation, saying flood channels on Okpanam Road were being de-silted and generally being opened up.

In the same vein, the state director of information, Mr Osahor, took the opportunity to warn people across the state and especially the urban centres to desist from dumping refusing indiscriminately including drainages and water channels, saying the government would soon clampdown on those dumping waste indiscriminately as that was partly responsible for some of the flooding challenges.

Meanwhile, the rains continued into late Monday afternoon with indications that it could rain on into the night.

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