Ahead the expected surge in passengers traffic as the yuletide season draws near, the Lagos office of the National Inland Waterways Authority ( NIWA) has flagged off extensive clearance of water hyacinth on Lagos water channels in order to ease transportation activities and aid safety of waterways users.
The ongoing project officials of the agency disclosed will cover the critical Lagos channels with high traffic of boat movements, starting with Omu creeks and Ikorodu water channels.
Already, Omu creeks have been cleared while the Ikorodu channels will take at least a week of intense clearance activities, including waste removal and disposal of the troublesome sea weeds, an official statement indicated.
Confirming the development, NIWA Lagos Area Manager, engineer Sarat Braimah affirmed that the effort is part of the agency’s key operational responsibilities and mandate to ensure smooth and safe sailing by boat operators and other stakeholders preparatory to the yuletide season when traffic on the waterway is expected to be high.
“We want to do what is right as we approach the Xmas holiday season with expected increase in boat transport activities. Incidentally, the season also heralds the return of water hyacinth around our waterways in Lagos, so the best is to proactively clear them even though the weeds have the capacity to rebound, but we are ready to sustain a safe passage for boats operations during and even after the yuletide” she explained.