Relief is on the way for residents in flood-prone parts of Rivers State as the state government has commenced a large-scale desilting of canals to curb flooding and its impact on communities.
The state’s Flood Management and Prevention Committee, chaired by Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Odu, began the exercise this week. Prof. Odu disclosed this on Tuesday during an inspection of the ongoing desilting of the Rumuokwurusi River in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
She explained that the state government is addressing the flooding challenge through a three-pronged approach — with the Ministry of Works clearing some areas, the Ministry of Environment handling others, and the Flood Committee providing additional support to ensure effectiveness. 
According to the Deputy Governor, the committee is focusing on the most affected local government areas and will begin distributing relief materials to victims starting Thursday.
A representative of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Chituru Ogundu, commended the proactive efforts of the state government. He noted that following the Nigeria Meteorological Agency’s flood forecast earlier in the year, NEMA broke down the predictions to the state level, enabling Rivers State to act early and mitigate the effects.
Dr. Ogundu added that both agencies have been working together to supply relief materials to communities impacted by flooding across the state.
