By Ndife David, Awka
The Anambra State Government has intensified efforts to combat flooding and gully erosion across the state, identifying illegal developments on waterways and widespread disregard for physical planning regulations as major drivers of the environmental crisis.
This position was reiterated during a joint inspection of flood- and erosion-prone communities in Ogidi and Onitsha by the Commissioners for Works and Infrastructure, Physical Planning and Urban Development, and Environment.
The inspection team visited several affected locations, including Ogidi Market, Building Materials Market, Opi Stream, Marine Area, Trans-Nkisi Layout, and other vulnerable sites, to assess the extent of damage and determine immediate intervention priorities.
Speaking during the joint inspection, the leader of the inspection team and the Anambra State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Arc. Okey Ezeobi, announced that Phases Two and Three of the Ogidi Flood Control Project have been completed, while the design for Phase One is ready. He assured residents that lasting solutions to the perennial flooding problem are underway.
He attributed much of the erosion damage to land grabbing, unregulated developments, and alterations to approved master plans, urging property owners to preserve designated drainage corridors and support ongoing remediation efforts.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barr. Chijioke Ojukwu, disclosed that investigations revealed that some traders in Building Materials Market, Ogidi, erected plazas and shops on designated drainage channels, obstructing the natural flow of stormwater and worsening flooding in the area.
He warned that all structures encroaching on waterways would be removed to enable the government reclaim and restore critical drainage networks in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of developing clean, orderly, and sustainable communities.
Barr. Ojukwu also expressed concern over the growing gully erosion threat in Trans-Nkisi GRA, Onitsha, describing environmental degradation as a serious challenge that requires urgent intervention and strict compliance with planning laws.
On his part, the Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Clem Aguiyi, identified human activities including illegal construction, indiscriminate waste disposal, and the destruction of vegetation that naturally helps control erosion as key factors worsening flooding and erosion across the state.
He emphasized the need for collective responsibility, encouraging residents to plant erosion-control trees, protect drainage infrastructure, and support government efforts aimed at achieving sustainable environmental management across the state.
Community leaders and stakeholders, including the Mayor of Idemili North Local Government Area, Engr. Stanley Nkwoka; the Chairman of Building Materials Market, Ogidi, Chief Jude Nwankwo; and the Chairman of Landlords in G.R.A. Trans Nkisi, Onitsha, Chief Onyebuchi Ndulue, commended the Soludo administration for responding to their concerns and pledged their support for government initiatives aimed at delivering permanent solutions to flooding, erosion, and environmental degradation in the affected areas.
