By Hosanna Eseose
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced a city-wide desilting and clearing of drainage channels as part of precautionary measures to prevent further flooding following recent flash flooding along the Airport Expressway, Abuja.
The exercise was inspected on Thursday by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda.
Dauda said the exercise was being carried out on the directive of the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, following the flash flooding recorded along the Airport Expressway on Tuesday.
He explained that the heavy rainfall was consistent with earlier meteorological warnings and broader climate change trends, noting that the Abuja Master Plan had made provisions for flood-prone areas, including portions of the Airport Expressway corridor.
According to him, Abuja’s drainage infrastructure was originally designed to accommodate significant volumes of stormwater, but its effectiveness had been compromised by human activities, particularly indiscriminate waste disposal and illegal developments.
He said some drainage facilities had become heavily silted due to residents dumping refuse into drainage channels, while polythene bags, waste and other objects carried by rainwater often blocked outlets.
The Acting Executive Secretary identified illegal developments as one of the major factors contributing to flash flooding in the city.
He pointed to a critical drainage point along the Airport Expressway, where a triple-cell box culvert was designed to discharge a substantial volume of water from the Galadima Roundabout.
Dauda said a private developer had allegedly constricted the waterway downstream by constructing retaining walls in an attempt to expand a private plot.
He explained that the obstruction had reduced the channel’s capacity, causing water detention and backflow which eventually resulted in flooding.
He said the affected structures would have to be removed to restore the original width and discharge capacity of the waterway.
Dauda disclosed that work was already ongoing along the Airport Expressway, with workers clearing and desilting trapezoidal drains, U-channels and culvert outlets.
He added that damaged sections of the drainage infrastructure would also be reconstructed where necessary.
The FCDA boss appealed to residents to desist from dumping refuse into drainage channels and waterways, warning that indiscriminate waste disposal and illegal construction could worsen flooding and its attendant consequences.
He assured that the FCTA would continue to take necessary measures to protect the city’s drainage infrastructure and restore waterways obstructed by illegal