en.Wedoany.com Reported - Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has declared a state of emergency on indiscriminate waterway blockages and rampant sand mining activities in the state, directing the immediate commencement of statewide drainage system desilting while ordering a halt to all indiscriminate sand mining operations.

In a statement, the Governor's Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, said Soludo made the declaration during a meeting with the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council. The governor warned that waterway blockages and illegal sand mining are significantly exacerbating the risks of flooding and gully erosion in Anambra State. He described the current environmental situation as a survival crisis and emphasized that Anambra State has reached a critical ecological tipping point.

Soludo noted that although Anambra is the second smallest state in Nigeria by land area, it is still losing valuable land due to severe environmental degradation. He stated that human activities, including directing residential rainwater directly onto roads, indiscriminately dumping refuse into drainage channels, and uncontrolled sand mining, are major factors contributing to erosion and flooding.

Discussing governance and community administration, Soludo referenced the recent Supreme Court judgment on autonomous communities in the state and announced that his government would strengthen community governance by formally incorporating communities into the state's administrative framework. He explained that the state government's Community Administration Law would list the communities that make up local government areas, aiming to resolve current disputes and tensions surrounding town unions. Soludo declared that upon completion of the reforms, communities would become the fourth tier of government.

The governor also assured traditional rulers of his administration's unwavering commitment to sustainable development. As the state government begins implementing emergency environmental measures and governance reforms, he called on traditional rulers to mobilize their communities to ensure drainage channels remain clear, strictly comply with environmental laws, and discourage practices that lead to flooding and erosion.