National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has urged the people of Enugu State to as a matter of urgency stop disposing refuse into drainage and water channels.

The state Coordinator of the agency, Mr Egbagiri Pele gave the advice during a road walk organised by the agency.

The exercise was in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the state Ministry of Environment in Enugu on Friday.

Egbagiri said the advice became necessary because of the menace of flood in different parts of the country.

He said NESREA was using the road walk on flood control to sensitise the people of the state on how to dispose their waste.

According to him, the effect of dumping waste in the drainage is such that it will block the waterways.

“Water that should flow on waterways will now overflow, spread into the roads and caused flooding.

“Beyond that, we have seen cases where flooding has taken over some homes even in this Enugu, though Enugu is not along the coastal lines.”

He also cautioned the people against erecting either permanent or temporary structures on waterways.

Pele said that the road walk was not a regular exercise but a response to a typical situation.

Pele, however, expressed the commitment of the agency toward enlightening the people on how to keep the environment free of flooding among other disasters. (NAN)