The Promotion for People`s Right, an NGO, on Tuesday advised FCT residents to adhere to warnings and guidelines by relevant authorities and experts to prevent heavy flooding.

Mr Williams Osaze, the President of the organisation gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Osaze said that heavy flooding experienced by the residents was as a result of non-compliance to instructions, early warnings and guidelines by environmental experts.

He said that it was important the residents adhered to instructions and early warnings from authorities to prevent heavy flooding in the FCT.

According to him, the rainy season usually runs from July to September in Nigeria and every year it poses threat of devastation and destruction across the country claiming lives and destroying property.

“Several people have been killed and hundreds of residential buildings and other property have been destroyed,” he said.

Osaze said that at the beginning of the year, the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) predicted torrential rainfall and dangers of the flooding.

He said that residents had refused to take precautions, adding that they were careless and ill-prepared to adhere to the warnings and guidelines in ensuring that effective measures were taken.

He said that poor drainage systems and blocked waterways were the major causes of flooding in commercial and residential areas.

The president said that tackling persistent flooding required long term planning, adding that the authorities should ensure that provisions were being made to clear drainage systems.

“The provision of drainage systems is very important as  prevention they say is better than cure.

“But the concerned authorities do not make such provision on time until it is already raining when it will be difficult to be tackled.

“Increase in population can add to heavy flooding, the number of the population can put pressure on land as the need for more housing rises.

“Lack of proper town planning and authority`s inability to accommodate these changes which can cause more alarm.

“Indiscriminate dumping of waste contributes to heavy flooding and the cause of this is human activities and our own attitude which we have refused to change.

“The waste has been putting extra strain on the drainage systems and preventing the steady flow of rainwater,’’ he said.

Osaze also an expert on environment said that dams were one of the causes of flooding, adding that the authorities were supposed to have addressed the challenge earlier before the rains start.

He said irrigation system and fish farming activities increased heavy flooding due to poor maintenance, adding that during the rainy season, torrents of water could be released into nearby communities.

The expert, however, urged the relevant authorities to introduce effective town planning and ensure that they evacuated endangered communities, adding that building certificate must be issued before any construction should take place

He also advised the residents to adhere to town planning rules and regulations as well as warnings by the authorities.

“Unless these practical measures even more are taken, floods will continue to destroy lives and property.’’