LASG apologises to residents, commuters affected by the flooding caused by the heavy downpour on Wednesday.

Comm’r for Environment and Water Resources clarified that the flooding was not due to inadequate planning by the government.

The Lagos State Government has apologized to residents and commuters affected by the flooding caused by the heavy downpour on Wednesday, which turned many areas into raging rivers and left many stranded.

During Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, clarified that the flooding was not due to inadequate planning by the government.

“I want you to know that what happened yesterday was not as a result of not preparing but because nature only took its course”, he said.

He stressed that the Lagos State Government had put in place resilient infrastructure which can withstand the effects of flash flooding.

He explained that Lagos experienced about 10 hours of nonstop rainfall from the early hours of Wednesday causing flash floods in many areas, adding that the flash floods receded in about two hours as a result of mitigation put in place.

According to him, flash floods happen globally, what we can do as a government is to embrace and live with nature, saying :

“Anywhere in the world that experiences long hours of rainfall like we did yesterday is bound to experience flooding otherwise called ponding elsewhere”.

“I would like to reiterate that Lagos is a coastal state and there will always be flash floods for a few hours when it rains. We should know that the world has changed and everyone must ensure various measures to mitigate the adverse effects of global warming and other environmental issues confronting human existence.

He appealed to residents to desist from the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainages, roads and other unauthorised places and support government efforts by ensuring the regular clearing of drainages in front of their houses for free flow of water.