The Nasarawa State government has directed residents of flood-prone communities to relocate to higher grounds to avoid any loss of lives during the rainy season.

Margaret Elayo, the commissioner for environment and natural resources, said this on Saturday in Lafia while addressing  newsmen after monitoring the May edition of  the monthly clean up exercise.

Ms Elayo said that such a step became imperative because of flooding predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency  as well as previous experiences where lives and property were lost to flooding.

She further said that since some states had started experiencing flooding, there was urgent need for vulnerable persons to act now.

“We are partnering with chairmen of Local Government Areas (LGAs) and traditional rulers to to show those affected by this relocation directive where they should go now for their safety.

“They should pick up their valuables and leave their houses for now so that when flooding eventually happens, no lives will be lost,” she said.

The commissioner further urged members of the public to desist from dumping refuge in drains as well as and desist from building structures on waterways to avert flooding.

She promised to strengthen the  campaigns toward enlightening the public on the importance of clearing waterways to prevent flooding.

“We have engaged the traditional and religious leaders, communities leaders, and we are sponsoring `Sensitisation Programmes’ in the mass media to enlighten the public on the dangers of flooding and steps to avert it,” she added.

She further promised to ensure that the recycling plant in the Akurba community of Lafia was operational to ensure that refuse were not dumped on the streets.

She described as unacceptable situations where large refuses were dumped on the streets, and advised those behind it to desist or risk being sanctioned.

The commissioner expressed dissatisfaction with the level of compliance to the sanitation exercise by the residents and appealed for more cooperation.

“If the environment is kept clean, it will guard against possible outbreak of some disease, thereby ensuring improved healthy living of the people,” she said.

The commissioner, therefore, promised that the ministry would make the state one of the cleanest in the country.

Meanwhile, Abubakar Mohammed, the chief prosecutor officer in the ministry, said that 168 persons were arrested across the state for violating sanitation laws.

He said that the offenders were arrested for transacting their businesses while the  exercise was in progress.

He said their actions violated the provisions of section 9 (2) of the State Environmental Sanitation Law.

 (NAN)