FLOODING: Ibadan City, Drainage, Solid Waste Master Plans Underway – Ajimobi
The Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that no effort will be spared to end the menace of natural disasters, particularly flooding, occasioned by haphazard erection of structures in Ibadan, the state capital.
The governor said this when receiving the final draft of a 20-year Ibadan city master plan from the representatives of Design and Architecture Bureau Consulting Engineers (dar), led by the Project Manager, Mr Yann Leclerq, at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan, on Friday.
The Ibadan City master plan, which covers the original 11 Local Government Areas of Ibadanland, assessed the state’s natural environment, history of flooding, transport, infrastructure, housing, population among others, is the first in the history of the state.
To ensure a holistic solution to the menace, the governor said that plans were afoot to also develop the Ibadan drainage and solid waste master plans to enhance infrastructural development and future expansion of Ibadan.
The governor said that lack of master plans contributed to the vulnerability of the city leading to natural disasters, such as the flooding witnessed on August 26, 2011.
Ajimobi said that designated routes for intra and inter-city rail system would be incorporated into the final document to take advantage of the existing Lagos-Ibadan rail line.
Ajimobi added. “I will also want the consultants to incorporate how we can cope with and improve on the existing structures and settlements. It will give us legitimacy to remove illegal structures on flood plains.
“I know that the implementation may pose challenges, but let us see. We are determined to give Ibadan a facelift that will make it very friendly and attractive to investors and even residents.
“In making recommendations on street trading, emphasis should be on enforcement. But, at the same time, you have to take into consideration our culture and peculiarities. For instance, can we have trading axis and neighbourhood markets incorporated in the master plan.
“We are determined to have a robust master plan that will ensure coordinated physical growth, improved socio-economic development and enhanced living standards of residents.
“More importantly, this will make the city resilient to stress and responsive to natural disasters, especially flooding in the future.”
Earlier in his presentation to members of the state executive council, Leclerq stated that the draft master plan reflected the immediate and future needs of citizens of the city.
According to him, the development of the master plan was inspired by the August 2011 flooding in Ibadan and those before then, which, he said, were triggered by several natural and human factors.
Particularly, he listed deforestation, development on flood plain, clogging of water surface, informal settlements, dumping in water channels among several human factors responsible for flooding in the city.
He said, “This master plan will provide sound planning frameworks and foundations to attract investment for existing and new business growth. It will prevent flooding episodes for existing and future development areas.
“We are also confident that it will improve and expand the city’s transport network. It will aid plans for and accommodate the future population growth. It will also enhance the quality of life for existing and future residents.
“Part of the objectives is to use this plan to establish the basis for the provision of adequate infrastructure capable of meeting the need of the population.”
According to him, a detailed urban plan, which he said was the next phase of the project, would include the core areas, flood prone areas and the circular road under construction.
The project manager added that Friday’s presentation was aimed incorporating the comments of state executive council and critical stakeholders, which would lead to the presentation of a detailed plan in September.
The draft master plan focuses on land use distribution, heritage and tourism, education and healthcare facilities, fire stations and security network, transport network, prevention of flooding and sustainable drainage systems, as well as pedestrian and bicycle networks.