By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Awka
The Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Anambra state, Chief Paul Odenigbo has advised people living along the river banks in the state to get set to relocate to higher grounds because of impending flood.
The call became necessary following NIHSA and Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET forecast last year that twenty eight states across the country including Anambra state would experience flood in 2020.
Odenigbo, represented by a Director in the agency, Mr Chukwudi Onyeukwu, in a tour to sensitise communities at Anambra East, Ayamelum and Anambra West local government areas, said the call was necessary to prevent any eventuality.
According to him, people should equally desist from acts capable of blocking water channels including building on flood ways, while farmers should consider early harvesting of farm produce and to gather some of their important items for onward movement to camps already prepared by the government.
In an interview, the Co-ordinator Local Emergency Management Committee, Mr Nnamdi Esimia explained that moving to all the rural villages and communities was aimed at ensuring that any case of emergency is attended to, by promptly reporting to state and federal agencies for rescue.
Some of the residents including Mr Frances Ogbu and Mrs Onyeka Ngene however appealed to both the federal and state governments to always provide inputs to farmers early enough to enable them plant and harvest before the flooding period.