Orogun River, which dermacates the boundary between Agbowo community in Ibadan North LG and Orogun community in Akinyele LG, overflowed its banks again on the night of Wednesday, 10th of June, 2020 and wrecked havoc on the property of residents in the adjoining Alafia Estate, Orogun.
While it is true that the rain downpour of that night was massive, the channel of the river should have been sufficiently wide enough to move off the excess water, but for the fact that it had been blocked by sand accretion and weed growth on the sand, right in the middle of the river channel, substantially, redirecting the water flow and causing spillage over the river bank.
The spillage funnelled into Alafia Estate, at some point along the river route, broke down the wall of a property, flooded the interior and was high enough to enter a parked car. Other properties in the neighborhood were threatened, but none other sustained that level of breach and damage.
Workers in Oyo State Government branded bibs were seen in the river channel with cutlasses and shovels at the Celestial Church end of the river a day or two after the flood incident, presumably working to widen the channel to prevent subsequent flooding. However, Otunba Ismail Lawal, a long term Orogun resident, noted that it would take more than this to prevent further flooding. He explained that usually, when the river channel blocks up as it is now, what government does is, an excavator tractor, is usually brought to dredge the river, remove the weeds and sand accretion, to allow for a free flow of water and prevent flooding. As things stand, any major downpour of rain will still result in further flooding.
It is hoped that more effective steps will be taken by the relevant authorities before the next major rains to prevent further flooding and give succour to the residents of Alafia Estate.
Olubunmi Sodipo writes from Ibadan
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