Hitech Construction Company has attributed flooding around the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor, and estates in other parts of the Lekki-Ajah axis of Lagos State to low-lying terrain, inadequate drainage arrangements and blocked waterways.
The company, which is constructing the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, says many affected developments were built without proper land elevation or drainage planning.
Hitech’s Managing Director, Danny Abboud, made the disclosure in Lagos on Tuesday, at the stakeholders’ engagement with National Assembly members and the Minister of Works, David Umahi.
In his presentation, Abboud explained that some affected areas require proper land elevation and improved drainage systems to facilitate water evacuation.
He explained that some locations around the corridor were naturally lower than surrounding areas and that construction without adequate filling and elevation had worsened flooding.
“This area was built without inspecting the walls, by not elevating or filling the area, it was built just to be built immediately,” he said while highlighting one of the affected locations during the presentation.
He stressed that developers and property owners must comply with Lagos State’s drainage regulations when constructing buildings and other infrastructure.
“Once you have the permit to build your buildings, your infrastructure, your house, you should immediately think of how to discharge your water based on the laws and rules of Lagos State Government,” Abboud said.
According to him, raising land levels where necessary would allow floodwater to flow naturally towards designated drainage outlets.
“Which means that you have to raise your land, and take (the water) by gravity to wherever there is an outlet,” he added.
Abboud noted that areas which had been properly filled remained largely dry, while locations that retained their original terrain continued to experience flooding.
He also blamed blocked drainage channels and indiscriminate refuse dumping for obstructing water flow in parts of the corridor.
“Those refuse, they are there despite the fact that the Ministry, together with the contractor Hitech, we have removed over a million cubic meters of refuse from that area,” he said.
The Hitech boss emphasised the need for continuous maintenance of drainage infrastructure to prevent flooding.
“We need to clean all the waterways, we need to clean all the areas, we need to clean all the culverts. If we don’t clean it, water will be always stagnant,” he said.
Abboud disclosed that, following directives from the Federal Ministry of Works, Hitech had commenced palliative repairs within some affected estates, including rehabilitation of internal road networks.
“With the directives from the Ministry, represented by His Excellency, we have started some palliative repairs within the estate and we are going to do the road networks there just to have some ease of transportation,” he said.
He further revealed that the company would support the reinstatement of a natural lake within the area as part of efforts to improve drainage and flood management.
“Meanwhile, there is a place where there was a natural lake over there, Your Excellency, and you instructed yesterday that that lake be reinstated, which Hitech would be gladly willing to assist,” Abboud said.
He added that the company had already mobilised its teams to clear blocked drainage channels and culverts along the corridor.
“We have instructed all our teams to open all the additional blocked drainages and culverts,” he said.
According to Abboud, the drainage interventions, including clearing blocked waterways and restoring the natural lake, are aimed at improving water flow and addressing flooding challenges in communities along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.
Ademide Adebayo
