By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Anambra State farmers and other residents in the riverine areas are counting their losses over the devastating effect of this year’s flood with their homes, farmlands, business activities and other events grounded.
It has been yearly rituals in the area as homes and other structures were always submerged by flood water, but this year is adding death to its pain.
Out of the 21 local government areas of Anambra state, about eight of them currently have most of their communities under water, as a result of flood.
Most of indigenes of the affected areas are not strangers to water, as they are mostly refered to as the riverine areas of the state. The residents of the areas are already used to water and are mostly fishermen who are conversant with water.
The 2012 flood can be said to be one of the most devastating with dire implications on the local economy.
An elder in Umueze Anam community of Anambra East council, Mr Josephat Nnanna lamented the economic effect of this year’s flood because of the prevailing hardship confronting Nigerians, particularly the poor.
Nnanna said: “How can a poor farmer like me survive the present situation, no house for shelter, food and others with flood water taking over our entire area.
“I am the bread winner of my family with two wives and many children. We have moved our things to our relations living in the hinterland, but for how long will it last.
“My children no longer go to schools because their schools have been submerged,”.
Madam Virginia Mmenkiti, a dry fish dealer at Otuocha Market in Anambra East of the state said that the entire market arena has been submerged.
“We are out of business for now. This is worrisome with the present hardship in the country. I am a serious victim this year. I lost some of my dry fishes packed in a shop in the market to flood,” she said.
The residents of Anaku, the headquarters of Ayamelum Local Government Area of the state were not left out of the hardship caused by flood waters.
Most of them have been trapped as flood has submerged the community and its environs.
Motorists, residents and visitors to the area could not drive out of the area as the flood submerged the Onitsha/Otuocha/Ayamelum road that leads to the area.
Mr Wilson Nwoye, one of the affected called on the state government and other good-spirited individuals to come to their rescue by sending boats to evacuate them as that is the only means left to save their lives.
Although one of the residents, Mr Afam Ezike, a transporter said the flood was an annual occurrence that required a permanent solution. He also requested for boats to be sent to the town immediately so as to save people’s lives.
He said the roads in and around the community were so bad, while appealing for the state government intervention immediately the rain stop.
He said: “We have been experiencing this flood every year, but it is worse now as it has submerged the Onitsha/Ayamelum road, thereby trapping those at the local government area, particularly Anaku.
“The Ezu river has been affected too thereby making it impassable for travellers and residents”..
“Vehicles, including commercial ones that were in Anaku motor park to evacuate farm produce have been trapped for days and as we speak, there is no escape route out of the flood.”
Another resident, Mr Shadrack Onuorah said farmers in the area have lost most of their farm produce to the rampaging flood and called on the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to send boats to ferry the trapped people out of the place.
Elsewhere at Odekpe in Ogbaru local government area, the people have been lamenting the devastating flood that had sacked most of the residents.
According to a resident, Mr Obi Okafor, a rice miller, many people sleep in rooms that are flooded, while some people construct platforms with planks on which they sleep.
“I swim to and from my house on daily basis with my family. This is not an ideal situation for the people. Unless a permanent solution is put in place, the residents will continue to suffer this every year.
“Flood has taken over the whole of Ogbaru. I am a farmer, all my cassava, yam, rice and fish farms have been taken over by the flood and everything in them was destroyed.
“I have lost over N5,000,000 in my farms, and my house have been taken over by the flood in the area.
“I have relocated to a safe place outside the state. It’s very unfortunate.
“What our people need now is shelter, medication and food because they are completely displaced from their homes.
“Many are hungry and need help to eat and shelter where they will lay their heads until when the flood will clear.”
