Anambra has over 1,000 gully erosion sites – Commissioner

Anambra State Commissioner for Works, Chief Marcel Ifejiofor, has said there were more than 1,000 active erosion sites scattered across the state.

Ifejiofor, who made the disclosure in Awka, the state capital, however, stated that the state Executive Council had inaugurated an Erosion Design Review Committee to tackle the problem.

He said findings by government had shown that most of the gully erosion sites were caused by wrong channeling of water.

The works commissioner also regretted that some people in the state intentionally build on water channels which resulted in blockage of water flow.

“I want to visit Sakamori Drain linking water to Idemili River around Onitsha because I got a report that the drain was blocked,” he said.

Ifejiofor said the state government was worried about the rate at which some people in the state ignored advice on ways to check the menace of erosion.

He added that wrong channeling of water caused damage on roads and the situation was causing government so much.

On frequent road accidents involving heavy duty vehicles in recent times in the state, Ifejiofor hinted that plans were on to construct bumps in some locations along some roads across the state.

He also said that the state would likely create special roads for heavy duty vehicles in the major towns, to check accidents.