The secret behind keeping flood at bay in Ondo state has been hinged on the massive support of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON to effective flood and waste management in the State.
The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ZL Global Alliance , ZLGA ,Dr Mrs Abiola Bashorun dropped the hint while featuring on a radio programme monitored by our Correspondent on Radio Nigeria, Positive FM.
Dr Mrs. Bashorun gave kudos to the present administration for approving the company’s proof of concept and strategy already implemented in FCT , Lagos and Kaduna states codenamed Operation Flush which helped in ensuring that Ondo State was not taken over by flood this year as it was experienced in some other states as predicted by NIMET.
” When we gave our proof of concept to the government of Akeredolu in 2018 , it looked impossible then , as there was no flood management strategy or amphibious crawler in place then in the state , but the present administration got interested , thereafter , we swung into action with the collaboration of the state ministry of environment and at the start , we got one amphibious crawler for the project ” Bashorun recounted
Explaining the strategy , the ZLGA Group Managing Director said the company deployed modern technology including drones to analyze various water channels in the state and thereafter embarked on widening the space through a process called channelisation for free water flow into the ocean.
According to Bashorun , the process involved analysis of the narrow channels in the domestic areas and hitting at the blockage points especially in the retail prone areas such as market places , abattoirs , de-silting the drainages , then moving to bigger drainages – canals where some debris were already concretized by human activities like vegetation , buildings , indiscriminate waste dumping e.t.c
Speaking on flood control , she noted that blocking of drainages and canals had been a major factor causing flooding .
Dr Bashorun then harped on consistent advocacy on the dangers of indiscriminate refuse dumping in inappropriate places , strict enforcement of environmental laws and adherence to legal waste management structure for efficient waste disposal , collection and management.
Contributing , ZLGA Deputy Managing Director, Mr Tobi Benjamin said under the company’s waste to cash program , members of the public were encouraged to bring in their packaged Plastic waste for a reward.
The partnership between the Ondo State government and the ZL Global Alliance led to state acquiring three amphibious crawlers for each Senatorial district used in channelisation of difficult water terrains to combat flooding.