Oyo State government has called on people living close to flood-prone areas to vacate pending the period the present heavy rains would recede to avoid loss of lives and valuable properties to the flood.
This came as Ekiti State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources Gbenga Agbeyo warned people against erecting structures on waterways to forestall flood disasters.
Oyo State government also enjoined residents to desist from actions capable of aggravating flooding, including the dumping of wastes on river channels and waterways, which may result in the blockage of drainage and river channels.
Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources Mr. Kehinde Ayoola gave this warning when officials from the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) visited some areas where flood wreaked havoc on residents after it rained for over two hours on Tuesday.
Some of the areas where the rivers and streams overflowed their banks in Ibadan include Ogundipe and Arikemase community at Olodo area of Egbeda Local Government in Ibadan.
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But, Agbeyo gave his warning while inspecting some of the places ravaged by flood as a result of the recent downpour.
The commissioner observed that some houses built on waterways actually blocked the free flow of water, which has resulted in the flood.
On the efforts of government at combating flood in the state, he added that government had identified 235 flood-prone areas across the state with a plan to put a necessary measure in place in those areas.
According to him, the state government had approached the World Bank to source for money so as to put a permanent solution to flood disaster in the affected areas.