The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Environment, has intensified its flood control intervention across its mandate areas, with massive clearing of canals and evacuation of sand, waste and debris continuing in Sapele and Uvwie Local Government Areas.
The exercise, which forms part of the Commission's proactive measures to mitigate flooding during the rainy season, recorded a dramatic moment on Wednesday when a large wild boar was discovered and caught during the desilting of a major canal in Sapele.
At Sapele, the intervention team cleared the canal stretching from Ajumele to Ajogodo, linking New Okpe Road to Ugheyiyi. The water channel, a major drainage outlet for stormwater in the city, underwent extensive desilting as a swamp buggy removed overgrown vegetation, waste, and accumulated debris obstructing the free flow of water into the Sapele River.
The unexpected capture of the wild boar at the Ajogodo section of the canal highlighted the extent of overgrowth and neglect that had characterised the waterway before the ongoing intervention.
Residents of the area applauded DESOPADEC and the Ministry of Environment for the initiative, describing the exercise as timely and crucial in addressing perennial flooding. They also appealed to members of the public to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and canals, warning that such practices contribute significantly to blocked waterways, flooding and environmental pollution.
Simultaneously, at the Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, heavy equipment, including payloaders and tipper trucks, continued the evacuation of large volumes of sand, silt and debris from drainage channels to designated dump sites as the first phase of the flood mitigation exercise nears completion.
The large-scale operation is aimed at restoring the capacity of drainage infrastructure to effectively channel stormwater, thereby reducing the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities within DESOPADEC's mandate areas.
Observers and residents described the intervention as a commendable initiative capable of providing lasting relief from the recurring menace of stormwater flooding, while urging the Commission to sustain routine maintenance of canals and other drainage infrastructure to preserve the gains of the exercise.
