Picture: Dr Clem Aguiyi
By Kenechukwu Ofomah, Awka
The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Clem Aguiyi, has warned that worsening erosion and flooding could threaten the future of the state, urging residents to treat environmental protection as a matter of survival.
Aguiyi, who spoke in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, said Anambra’s limited landmass was under severe pressure from gully erosion, flooding and poor environmental practices.
He warned that unless urgent measures were taken, the state could face devastating consequences in the coming decades.
“Unless we begin to address the issue as a survival issue, not just any other issue, in the next twenty years we may not have Anambra to call our own because every place will be taken over and swallowed by erosion,” he said.
The commissioner stressed that government alone could not solve the problem, noting that indiscriminate dumping of refuse, construction on waterways, deforestation and poor storm-water management were worsening the situation.
He urged residents to tackle erosion at its early stages instead of waiting until gullies became large and costly to control.
“There are many baby erosions that are just trying to come up. We can deal with those ones. Don’t wait until these erosions are out of hand,” Aguiyi said.
He also warned against building on waterways, saying such developments obstruct the natural flow of water and contribute significantly to flooding.
“People keep buying lands on these waterways, thereby causing water to leave its natural course to find a way. But water must always find a way,” he stated.
Aguiyi advised prospective property owners to conduct proper checks before purchasing land and comply with physical planning and environmental regulations.
He further called for the use of catchment pits, surface tanks, permeable spaces and green areas in residential developments to reduce storm-water runoff.
The commissioner said Anambra must also improve drainage systems, protect flood plains, plant more trees and properly manage storm water, particularly as climate change could bring heavier rainfall and more severe flooding.
On enforcement, Aguiyi said environmental regulations must apply to everyone regardless of political position, social status or traditional title.
He warned influential individuals against intimidating officials or circumventing planning regulations, stressing that structures built in violation of environmental laws could eventually be demolished.
Aguiyi also disclosed that the state’s environmental sanitation exercise scheduled for Saturday, August 22, was moved forward from August 29 because of the local government elections.
He said the exercise was part of the government’s wider environmental emergency response aimed at promoting responsible waste disposal, drainage management and environmental compliance.
According to him, Anambra already has a strong environmental legal framework, but the major challenge remains compliance and enforcement.
The commissioner urged residents, communities, businesses and government agencies to take collective responsibility for protecting the environment and preventing further erosion and flooding.
Tags: #Anambra #Erosion #Flooding #Environment
