By Our Correspondent
A commercial tricycle operator was feared dead in Awka, Anambra State, after he was swept away by flood while reportedly attempting to rescue a woman during a heavy downpour in the city on Monday night.
The body of the unidentified keke driver was discovered at Miracle Junction, Ifite Road, Awka, on Tuesday morning, hours after he was carried away by the gushing floodwater around Book Foundation during the rain.
An eyewitness, who alerted our correspondent, said efforts were being made to recover the body from the flood channel as residents gathered at the scene.
The incident occurred during what residents described as one of the heaviest rainfalls witnessed in Awka this year, raising fresh concerns about the city’s worsening flooding situation and the dangers posed by rapidly flowing stormwater.
Residents attributed the recurring flooding in parts of Awka and its immediate environs largely to human activities, particularly the construction of buildings and other structures on natural waterways and drainage channels.
They questioned how such structures were approved in the first place, asking relevant authorities to explain whether proper environmental, physical-planning and drainage assessments were carried out before building approvals were granted.
Apart from construction on waterways, residents also blamed the flooding on the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drains, blockage and narrowing of drainage channels, poor maintenance of existing waterways, uncontrolled development and the conversion of natural flood paths into roads, compounds and other built-up areas.
They further alleged that some drainage systems in the city were either inadequate for the volume of stormwater generated during intense rainfall or had been compromised by development and poor maintenance.
Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that when natural waterways are obstructed, rainwater has nowhere to go and can quickly accumulate or move with destructive force, particularly during intense downpours.
The death of the keke driver has therefore renewed calls for the authorities to conduct a comprehensive audit of buildings and developments along waterways and flood-prone areas in Awka, with a view to removing obstructions and restoring natural drainage paths where necessary.
Residents also urged the state and local authorities to intensify the clearing and desilting of drains, enforce environmental and physical-planning regulations, and sanction indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
They said the tragedy should serve as a warning that flooding in Awka is no longer merely an inconvenience but a serious public-safety threat capable of claiming lives.
As of the time of filing this report, the identity of the deceased had not been established, while efforts were reportedly continuing to recover his body and establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
