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Proper waste disposal key to reducing Lagos flooding — Stakeholders – EnviroNews
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As floodwaters continue to disrupt lives across Lagos, some residents are taking personal responsibility for keeping their neighbourhoods free of waste.
Residents and environmental stakeholders identified indiscriminate waste disposal as a major factor worsening flooding in the state.
They said while heavy rainfall contributes to flooding, blocked drainage channels often prevent stormwater from flowing freely, worsening the impact on homes, roads and businesses.
Lagos generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, according to the Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL).
The volume, stakeholders said, underscored the need for residents to dispose of waste properly and keep drainage channels free of obstruction.
Across the state, residents continue to contend with flooded roads, damaged property, traffic gridlock and business losses following heavy downpours.
In response, the Lagos State Government has intensified drainage maintenance through desilting and channelisation of major canals across flood-prone communities.
Recently, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources deployed a swamp buggy to the Ogombo Canal, Awoyaya and Iponri.
Additional equipment was moved to Gbetu/Iwerekun, behind Mayfair Garden in the Ajah area, to widen and deepen drainage channels.
The ministry said the interventions would improve stormwater flow and reduce flooding in vulnerable communities.
It also announced plans to extend similar interventions to all Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said engineering interventions alone would not eliminate flooding.
He said residents must also stop dumping refuse into drainage channels and urged councils to intensify the desilting of tertiary drains.
“Primary and secondary drains are the responsibility of the state. But tertiary drains within streets and estates fall to the councils.
“We need them to intensify desilting now so we don’t lose the gains we are making,” he said.
Wahab urged residents to dispose of waste only through approved channels and avoid blocking drainage systems with refuse.
“We are not waiting for disaster to happen. Once we saw the pattern of rainfall and the pressure points, we moved in with equipment,” Wahab said.
For some residents, however, the battle against flooding has moved beyond government intervention to personal efforts within their communities.
Mrs. Ada Chukwuemeka, a resident of Iponri, appealed to Lagosians to stop dumping refuse into drains.
“If we all do our part, we will soon have the Lagos of our dreams,” she said.
Similarly, a community youth leader in Awoyaya, Mr. Femi Adebayo, pledged to sensitise residents against blocking drainage channels with waste and sand.
In Ajah, Mrs. Sandra Emenike said she had taken it upon herself to discourage indiscriminate waste disposal in her neighbourhood.
She said she monitored her neighbourhood for illegal refuse dumpers and scavengers who scattered waste while searching for recyclable materials.
Emenike also educated neighbours on the importance of properly bagging household waste before disposal.
“We all have a role to play. I always remind people that proper waste disposal starts from our homes.
“If we protect our drains, we protect ourselves,” Emenike said.
At Afariogun, Mr. Emeka, popularly known as “Emmydon,” said residents had nicknamed him the “area monitor” because of his commitment to environmental sanitation.
He said he coordinated sanitation exercises and constantly encouraged residents to keep the community clean.
“People around here can be lackadaisical, but I don’t give them breathing space. If not, our little community will become uninhabitable,” he said.
President of ASWOL, Mr. Friday Oku, said blocked drains reduced the capacity of stormwater channels, forcing water onto roads and into homes.
Oku said stagnant floodwater also increased the risks of road crashes, water-borne diseases, mosquito breeding and delayed emergency response.
The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Mr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said proper waste disposal complemented the state’s flood-control efforts.
He urged residents to patronise approved waste collection services and avoid indiscriminate dumping.
“The government can clear drains repeatedly, but lasting success depends on residents disposing of waste responsibly and keeping drainage channels free of obstruction,” he said.
Oku and Gbadegesin called for sustained public enlightenment and stricter enforcement against indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
They said stronger collaboration between the government and residents remained critical to reducing flood risks across Lagos.
In spite of ongoing drainage interventions, stakeholders said lasting progress would depend not only on infrastructure but also on behavioural change.
As the rainy season continues, they maintain that responsible waste disposal remains one of the simplest measures residents can take to reduce flooding and protect lives.
By Uchechi Afonne
