By Sunny A. David, Awka
The Anambra State Government has commenced extensive desilting of the Okpoko Sacamori drainage channel in a renewed effort to tackle persistent flooding in Okpoko and neighbouring communities.
The intervention was approved by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, who awarded contracts to four construction companies for the removal of accumulated silt, refuse and other debris obstructing the major drainage channel.
The 20-foot-wide Okpoko Sacamori serves as a major floodwater channel, conveying stormwater from parts of Awada, Fegge, Nkpor and Okpoko into the River Niger.
However, years of indiscriminate dumping of refuse, plastics and other solid waste into gutters and drainage channels have reduced the waterway’s capacity, contributing significantly to flooding across Okpoko and adjoining areas.
Speaking on the project, the Ogbaru Local Government Project Site Engineer, Mr Anthony Nnaetoo, said contractors had been deployed to different sections of the Sacamori to ensure comprehensive desilting.
He explained that the ongoing work covers the stretch from Ndida Well to Ogbuagu Junction, the catchment pit intersection at Orange Drug, the section between New Market and Ogbuagu Junction, as well as the portion extending across the Second Niger Bridge to the Idemili Obosi River and onward to the River Niger.
According to him, the contractors are currently evacuating large quantities of accumulated debris from the drainage channel.
Nnaetoo, however, expressed concern that rainfall was still washing fresh waste from Nkpor, Awada, Fegge and other surrounding communities into the Sacamori while the desilting operation was underway.
He therefore called for the expansion of the intervention to cover additional areas and enable the contractors to restore the drainage channel to its full capacity.
The Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Hon. Kenneth Akwuobi, and the President-General of Okpoko described the project as a significant intervention by the Soludo administration.
They said work was progressing across the various sections of the drainage channel and expressed optimism that the exercise would substantially reduce the impact of flooding on residents.
Some residents of Okpoko also appealed to the state government to institutionalise regular desilting of the Sacamori, preferably once or twice annually during the dry season.
They said consistent maintenance would prevent the drainage channel from becoming blocked and help minimise the risk of flooding during the rainy season.
Meanwhile, Mr Solomon Nweke of Cokes Market, Onitsha, urged residents to support the government’s efforts by keeping gutters and drainage channels free of refuse.
He warned that government intervention alone would have limited impact if residents continued dumping waste into waterways and other drainage infrastructure.
The ongoing desilting of the Okpoko Sacamori is part of the Anambra State Government’s broader efforts to strengthen flood-control infrastructure, protect communities from flooding and improve environmental management across the state.
