Will The N2bn Balloon Tunnel Built By Gov. Hope Uzodinma Mark The End of Flooding In Owerri?

Homopoliticus_Bosco

Sep 15  2021 3:42PM

A few days ago, Imo made headlines due to President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the state. It should be recalled that the number one citizen of Nigeria was in the state on Thursday, to commission some of the projects executed by Governor Hope Uzodinma. Among the projects that were commissioned, the high-technology balloon tunnel took center stage.

Image Credit: Google

As obtained from Business Day newspaper, the balloon tunnel which was built to end the issues of flooding in Owerri, cost the Imo State government a whopping sum of 2 billion Naira to construct. It should be recalled that before now, Owerri has often been flooded whenever there is a heavy downpour. As such, one can understand why the state government had to invest such a huge amount of money in flood control.

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Having built and commissioned the 2 billion Naira balloon tunnel, there is no doubt that the government would be hoping that the issue of flooding in Owerri will now be a thing of the past. But the question we may need to ask ourselves is whether the tunnel could mark the end of flooding in Owerri. In my view, despite the fact that the government spent huge amounts of money to construct the tunnel, it may be unable to end the issue of flooding in Owerri.

Image Credit: Google

Although this position can be disputed. However, I strongly believe that without proper waste management, there is the likelihood that the tunnel may soon be blocked by dirt. It should be recalled that for some time now, there have been sights of dirt littered in parts of the state capital. This can be argued to have a negative impact on the ability of the tunnel to function, as there are chances that dirt would enter the tunnel, and cause it to block.

Image Credit: Facebook

With this in mind, I believe that the construction of the balloon tunnel alone, cannot end the problems of flooding in Owerri. There is also the need to ensure that waste materials are properly disposed, and that dirt is not allowed to go into the tunnel or its feeder channels, and cause them to block. It is only when this is done, that the recently commissioned 2 billion Naira balloon tunnel would be effective against flooding