Delta Floods: CDHR Urges Govt to Enforce Town Planning Laws, Reform Waste Management

The Delta State chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called on the Delta State Government to strictly enforce town planning laws and overhaul the state’s waste management system following the widespread flooding recorded across several communities.

In a statement issued on Friday and jointly signed by the State Chairman of the organisation, Comrade Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, and the Publicity Secretary, Comrade Nosa Oveseey Godswill, the group described the recent floods as a consequence of poor urban planning, weak enforcement of environmental regulations and inadequate drainage infrastructure.

According to the CDHR, the heavy rainfall experienced across almost every Local Government Area of the state has left major roads submerged, disrupting movement and exposing the need for urgent government intervention.

The organisation observed that many waterways have been encroached upon and converted into sites for hotels, residential buildings and business premises, thereby obstructing the natural flow of water.

It also lamented that many drainage channels have been blocked with refuse and silt, while several residential areas lack adequate drainage systems to effectively channel floodwater and prevent erosion and damage to roads.

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The rights group commended some local government chairmen for taking proactive measures to combat flooding, particularly the Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Hon. Agbateyiniro, for intensifying efforts to canalize water channels within the council area.

However, the CDHR warned that such efforts would produce little lasting impact unless the state government strictly enforces planning regulations and prevents the allocation of lands designated as waterways for residential and commercial development.

The organisation further blamed poor waste management for worsening the flooding situation, noting that many residents now dump refuse on roads, inside drainage channels and into rivers due to inadequate waste disposal systems.

It urged the state government to assume greater responsibility for waste management instead of leaving the sector almost entirely in the hands of private operators.

As part of its recommendations, the CDHR called on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to enforce town planning laws without fear or favour, improve waste disposal and regular evacuation of refuse, and intensify public enlightenment campaigns on environmental sanitation and maintenance.

The group stressed that development without proper planning would continue to expose communities to avoidable environmental disasters, urging governments at all levels to act decisively before more communities are devastated by flooding.