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Worried by the escalating menace of gully erosion, the Anambra State Government has threatened to enforce regulations requiring residents to provide proper drainage for storm water from their homes.
The State Executive Council (ANSEC), which announced the proposed enforcement, expressed concern that erosion remains an existential challenge in Anambra, attributing the situation to careless actions by some communities and lapses by regulatory bodies in enforcing environmental laws.
Briefing journalists after the weekly executive council meeting, Commissioner for Information Dr. Law Mefor noted that some residents channel storm water from their homes directly onto roads, where it accumulates and worsens the erosion crisis across the state.
“ANSEC has resolved to step up enforcement to compel residents to properly channel and manage storm water from their houses. Communities are also expected to comply with specific guidelines, including the construction of erosion barriers and excavating sand only in approved locations,” Mefor said.
He also revealed that the government would establish a committee to reclaim government lands across the state. This decision follows reports of widespread encroachment, with individuals illegally building on government-owned property.
Meanwhile, ANSEC approved the release of funds for several state projects.
Specifically, ₦95.2 million was approved for water provision to the newly constructed Ekwulobia flyover bridge fountain and ornamental garden, while ₦172 million was allocated for landscaping the car park of the new Trauma Centre at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka.
Other approved allocations include ₦93.4 million for the installation of a three-way traffic light with pedestrian signals at the Ifite-Amenyi intersection in Awka metropolis; ₦50.4 million for the supply and installation of two 10kVA inverters with 15kW lithium batteries at the Anambra State Civil Service Commission building in Awka; and ₦119.1 million for the supply and installation of transformer substations in Nnewi and Umueze-Anam communities.
