The Oyo State Government through the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP), as part of efforts to proactively combat flood hazards within the Ibadan, the state capital, has put in place a coordinated system of warning that will alert people in flood prone areas to impending danger six hours before any flooding disaster, to allow them to evacuate their families in order to put an end to loss associated with flooding.
The coordinated system known as the Early Warning System (EWS), is a technologically driven effort that involves monitoring water level remotely using wired sensor network to ensure that people living in flood-prone Communities receive appropriate warning within suitable time interval to take effective action to save lives and minimise loss of properties.
Speaking on the state government’s efforts to ensure the EWS takes off without hitch, Nigerian Tribune quoted the project coordinator of IUFMP, John Olasunkanmi Sokeye, as stating on Wednesday that while flooding can’t be eliminated, it can be reduced to the minimum and it is possible to ensure that lives are not lost through the EWS which the IUFMP just deployed.
According to him, IUFMP wants to use the digitalised EWS to warn people living in areas susceptible to flooding to evacuate before the water overflows its banks to prevent fatalities during unmanageable flooding incidences.
He added that 60 per cent of needed equipment will soon arrive from the UK while others are already being installed emphasising that the government already employed six personnel; two IT experts, two meteorologists and two hydrologists to manage the control towers.
“Our partners from India, RSMI have trained civil servants to manage the system and Oyo State already has a pool of 30 personnel to drive the process. In two weeks, five government personnel will be travelling to India to understudy their system to update their knowledge.
“Also, we will have six control stations which will be located at NIHORT, Ministry of Environment Kings College, Airport, CRIN and Idi Ayunre while we will put gauges in 11 major rivers and streams and the sirens that will raise the alarm will be placed in Police stations or in churches and mosques in flood-prone communities for proper monitoring,” he said.
Sokeye, however, appealed to the public not to vandalise the system as it will add no value to them.
Also speaking, Murali Krishna, a consultant with RSMI and community assessment expert on the EWS project stated that the system is one of the best technology to curb the devastating effects of flooding, adding that it is the first in Nigeria.
He added that understanding the process will save lives and the process has no problems to use as it is modern and simple in procedure.
“It is modern easy to understand and there’s no problem in its use because it’s simple. We have started training officers since last year and we will be engaging in community awareness with IUFMP,” Murali added.
