The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has identified 11 more Local Government Areas of Abia State prone to flooding.

The Coordinator, NEMA Owerri Operations Office, Dr Innocent Ezeaku, said in Umuahia on Thursday during a workshop on “Pre-flood awareness campaign towards early warning and early action and interpretation of 2015 seasonal rainfall prediction.’’

Ezeaku said that the Local Governments were identified after an assessment in the state by the agency in the wake of the 2012 national flood disaster.

He stated that the list included Obingwa, Isiala-Ngwa North and South, Osisioma, Aba North and South, Bende, Arochukwu, Isuikwuato, Ohafia and Umunneochi.

Ezeaku, who represented the Director-General of the agency, Mr Sani Sidi, said that Umuahia North and Ikwuano LGAs were hitherto being ravaged by flood.

The coordinator said that the 2012 flood disaster exposed a lot of deficiencies in the nation’s readiness to check and mitigate flooding.

He blamed flooding in the South East zone on the wanton construction of buildings along the Imo River basin, flagrant disregard to town planning regulations and dumping of wastes in drains and gutters.

Ezeaku said that the agency had designed a response action plan that entails the profiling of communities, monitoring flood prone areas as part of measures to check the phenomenon.

He called on the government at all levels to muster the will power to enforce town planning laws, adding that gutters and drainage systems should be extended enough to carry the volume of rain water, especially in urban centres.

He also advocated tree planting, proper waste disposal and regular de-silting of the drains as some of the remedial measures against flooding.

Ezeaku stressed the need for people to obey and respond to early warning signs, saying that the consequences of failing to act on such signs portend danger for the country.

Some participants at the workshop commended NEMA for its timely intervention on disaster cases and pledged to sensitise the people on how to tackle emergency cases.

Participants included representatives of the Ministries of Health and Environment, Messrs Agomoh Uchechukwu and Ikechi Mbonu and Mrs Von Obiegbunam, who represented a non-governmental organisation in Umuahia. (NAN)

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