Aniefiok Christopher
The major factors responsible for persistent flooding in Uyo Urban, Akwa Ibom State have been revealed with climate change, dumping of waste in drainage system, lack of drains and building houses on flood prone areas as the leading causes.
Other causes are lack of government implementation of sanitation law, untimely desilting of drains, excessive/prolonged rainfall, inadequate awareness on flooding, poor sanitation habit and poor Urban Planning.
Mr. Dickson Kennedy, a graduate of Urban and Regional Planning, who rolled out the causes of the flooding, mentioned flood prone areas in Uyo Urban to include IBB Avenue, Atiku Abubakar Road, Abak Road by Mechanic Village, Udoette Street, Ikpa Lane, Idak Okpo Road, Abak Road by Anua Obio Street, Green Park Avenue and Oron road by Uruan Street.
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Others are Tabernacle Road, Urua Ekpa Road, Nkemba Street, UNIUYO Annex campus, Uko Eshiet Street, Ebong Essien Road by Nelson Mandela Road, Custom Road, Liberty Avenue, Aka Road by IBB Junction, Afaha Ube Street, Akpan Etuk Street, Aka Etinan Road, Aka Itiam Road by Udo Umana Street, and Nsikak Eduok Avenue by Oron Road and Aka Itiam Road.
Dickson in his Facebook page listed high crime rate, destruction of property, business patronage (what happens to business patronage during flooding), abandonment and Relocation of houses and access to work/school as the socio-economic effects of flooding in Uyo Urban.
According to him, the problems associated with flooding in the urban are damage of landed/household property, business slow down, destruction of lives, destruction of socio-economic assets, breakdown of communication, obstruction of traffic flow and negative effects on health through water borne diseases.
On solutions to curb the flooding, Dickson proffered the provision of adequate drains/gutters, proper channeling of run-off, implementation of laws guiding indiscriminate disposal of refuse, enlightening the general public, training of flood control, use of stones to fill water locked areas and consultation of flood control managers
