The Cross River State Government has launched a fresh operation against people and businesses blocking drainage channels across Calabar, warning that anyone contributing to flooding through illegal structures or poor waste disposal will face strict enforcement.
The warning was issued by the Commissioner for Environment, Moses Osogi, during the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise carried out across Calabar Municipality and Calabar South.
The sanitation exercise started from the Ministry of Environment and moved through different parts of the city before officials arrived at Marian Market, where several makeshift shops and illegal structures built on drainage channels and outside approved trading areas were removed.
According to the commissioner, many of the flood problems experienced in Calabar are caused by blocked drains, illegal buildings on waterways and indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage systems. He stressed that if water cannot flow freely during heavy rainfall, nearby communities will continue to suffer flooding.
Osogi said the government would no longer tolerate activities that obstruct stormwater channels, adding that environmental sanitation is everyone's responsibility, not just the government's. He urged traders to keep their surroundings clean because a dirty market affects public health, businesses and the entire environment.
The commissioner also expressed disappointment over the poor sanitary condition of Marian Market and directed traders to immediately clean their business areas. He warned that enforcement would no longer be limited to monthly sanitation days, as officials would now carry out routine inspections to ensure markets remain clean and drainage channels are not blocked.
During the exercise, environmental officials arrested and prosecuted several people who violated the state's sanitation laws, including those who ignored the restriction of movement during the monthly sanitation period.
The exercise was attended by officials of the Ministry of Environment, members of the Special Environment Taskforce, other government officials, volunteers and representatives of non-governmental organisations working to promote a cleaner environment.
The latest enforcement comes barely days after Governor Bassey Otu ordered immediate action to reduce flooding in parts of Calabar following heavy rainfall and also warned residents against building on drainage channels. The government says protecting waterways is now a top priority to reduce flooding across the state.
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