Flood submerges several houses in Lafia

Several houses have been submerged by flood in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, following an early morning downpour that lasted for six hours Thursday.

The Nasarawa state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Princess Dr. Margaret Elayo, who visited the area cautioned residents against constructing buildings on water channels.

She attributed the flooding to deplete underground water sources, obstructed water channels due to refuse, and poor urban drainage systems.

Elayo urged households in flood-prone areas to temporarily relocate to safer locations, noting that no life was lost in the incident.

She said indiscriminate waste disposal and aggressive land reclamation have led to the loss of ponds and open spaces that worsened the situation.

The affected areas by the flood were Unguwar Nungu, Millionaires Quarters and Bukan Sidi.

Also speaking, managing director, Nasarawa state Urban Development Agency (NUDA), Mohammed Wada Yahaya, said Governor Abdullahi Sule has directed immediate upgrade of the state city centre development plan.

He noted that the measure has become necessary to avert further loss of lives and distribution of property by flooding during the rainy season.

“We are looking into making sure that the proper channels are provided to safeguard the environment in general,” he said.