Investigations by Kristina Reports have revealed that about 800 houses and farmlands in Oyigbo West Community, Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been affected by flooding, with residents blaming indiscriminate refuse dumping, blocked drainage channels and structures allegedly built around a major natural water canal.
The flooding has reportedly displaced thousands of residents, while stagnant water and accumulated refuse have raised concerns about environmental and public health risks in the community.
Preliminary findings indicate that approximately 800 houses and crops have been submerged. Drainage systems designed to facilitate the movement of stormwater across the community have also become clogged with refuse, restricting the flow of water.
During a visit to Oyigbo West, Kristina Reports observed stagnant water and refuse floating in drainage channels across parts of the community.
Residents interviewed separately described the situation as an environmental and health hazard and appealed to the Rivers State Ministry of Environment and the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to evacuate the accumulated refuse and urgently intervene.
Some residents also raised concerns over the design of the drainage system, alleging that several drainage channels discharge into the natural water canal, thereby increasing the volume of water flowing into it during periods of heavy rainfall.
Why Refuse Is Dumped on the Water Canal
Investigations indicate that the absence of a designated refuse disposal site in Oyigbo West may be contributing to the indiscriminate dumping of waste.
Residents said people within Oyigbo West and neighbouring communities have resorted to using the water canal as a dumping ground because of the lack of an alternative disposal facility.
The accumulation of refuse has, according to residents, obstructed the natural flow of water and compounded the flooding situation.
Oyigbo West Water Canal
The Oyigbo West water canal is described by residents as a natural waterway that has historically served as a local attraction.
According to community accounts, the canal experiences seasonal changes in water volume, increasing during the rainy period and receding during drier periods. Residents say its natural setting has also attracted visitors to the community over the years.
However, the canal is now at the centre of growing concerns over flooding, waste disposal and development around waterways.
A resident of Graceland Resort and Chairman of the Flood Victims Committee in Oyigbo West Community, Nze Bright Ezewike, said hundreds of houses and crops had been submerged.
He called on government authorities to address what he described as the factors worsening the flooding.
“We have an estimated number of 800 houses that are being submerged under this flooding. The refuse has blocked water flow, including environmental hazards. We are suffering an epidemic because of the refuse.”
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the St. Peter Catholic Church Parish Council, Okehi Macmilian, appealed to the Rivers State Government, particularly the Ministry of Environment, to provide a designated refuse disposal site for residents.
He also called for a review of the drainage system and proposed that some of the channels be redirected towards the Imo River to reduce the pressure on the canal.
“Some part of the flood in the church is as deep as 12 feet and more. Actually, the drainages around the community are channeled to this water canal. This is a populated area, so channeling drainage systems to the water canal, I think, is an engineering error.”
On the refuse problem, he said: “People started dumping refuse there because there is no designated refuse dump site provided by government.”
The Chairman of Oyigbo West Community, Celestine Okoronkwo, identified existing structures around the canal and indiscriminate refuse dumping as major factors contributing to the flooding.
According to him, the natural waterway requires sufficient space to accommodate its increased volume during the rainy season.
“This water is a natural phenomenon, but because people have built houses around it, there is no large space for it to occupy. Then, for the refuse, it is blocking the water from flowing easily. Government should come and evacuate it and also stop people from dumping refuse there.”
Refuse, Flooding and Environmental Risk
An environmental expert and consultant to the Rivers State Ministry of Environment and the Rivers State Waste Management Agency covering Oyigbo Local Government Area, Safety Veron, linked a significant proportion of flooding in the area to indiscriminate refuse disposal.
Veron said his assessment indicated that waste accumulation was contributing substantially to flooding in several parts of Oyigbo.
“The refuse in Oyigbo Local Government Area has caused a lot of flooding. By my own investigation, I found out that it is not only here. Umuosohia Junction, Mbanu Junction and some places in Iriebe are also being ravaged by flood.”
He added that improper waste disposal was a major factor in the flooding affecting communities across the local government area.
Kristina Reports also identified an existing building close to the water canal around St. Peter Catholic Church, raising questions about the extent to which structures along the waterway may be affecting water movement.
Building on Waterways
Reacting to the presence of structures close to the canal, Veron condemned the erection of buildings on waterways and questioned how such developments could have received approval.
“I wonder who approved the building there because that place is a water channel. You don’t dare build on waterways, and I believe no expert will give them building approval from the Ministry of Urban Planning or Regional Planning to build on waterways.”
He advised developers to undertake the necessary environmental assessments before embarking on projects, warning that construction without proper consideration of natural drainage patterns could create serious environmental consequences.
With residents displaced, homes and farmlands submerged, and refuse choking drainage channels, the flooding in Oyigbo West has exposed what appears to be a combination of poor waste management, constrained waterways and development around natural drainage channels.
Residents are now calling for urgent government intervention, including the evacuation of accumulated refuse, provision of a designated waste disposal facility, assessment of drainage channels and enforcement of regulations governing construction around waterways.
