Nkechi Uduma
Residents of Rumuagholu by the bank of the canal that runs through their community to the popular Rumuodomaya market axis of Obio/Akpor, are crying out over the continous rise of water in the canal as the rain increases.
Some of the residents in an interview with TPCN, said they are afraid that the water from the canal will spill into their areas of residence as was the case last year.
“The flood really disturbs us when the rain comes because everywhere will be overflowing with water, it destroys our crops and damages our household properties.
” We are so afraid because we don’t know how it will be this year.
If you observe very well, you will notice that there is a canal at the back of the houses here. This canal is always blocked, maybe from the refuse dumped inside by the traders at the Rumuodomaya market because it runs from here to Rumuodomaya down to Aluu community. We don’t know what to do, the situation has really left us depressed and hopeless.”
They also called on the Rivers state government and the Obio/Akpor local government council to dredge the Rumuagholu-Rumuodomaya canal in order to save communities by the canal from flooding this year.
” we need the state government to help us dredge this canal and the drainages too. We have suffered so much because of this blocked canal. Every year since we moved to this area, we have been suffering from this same problem. We are even afraid of contracting diseases or been bitten by leeches in the water because we have to put our feet into the dirty water and walk to a long distance before we can put on our shoes.” they said.
