As the rainy season sets in, the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) backed by the World Bank in collaboration with the Ondo State Government has begun desilting of drains in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The desilting was done on 11 major roads within Akure metropolis.
Speaking to newsmen during an inspection tour of the desilting, Ondo State Coordinator for NEWMAP, Engr. Marcus Adewodun, said he was impressed but the pace at which the workers were working was not encouraging.
Engr. Adewodun said the drain desilting was to protect road infrastructure in the state.
Adewodun explained that the work would extend to other parts of the state if more funding were available.
According to him, “This is an emergency job and the rains are here. We want to desilt all the drains so that our roads can be saved. Desilting is a way of retaining the infrastructure on the road.
“We have ten roads where we stand desilting presently and we still want to do more. We select the critical ones within the metropolis. We are concentrating on Akure. As soon as we are through, we move to other parts of the road.
“We need to cultivate the habit of disposing our waste properly to prevent blockade of drains.” The Nation
