Ahead of the rainy season, civil engineers on Wednesday urged federal and state governments to adopt Trenchless Technology – using pipes instead of surface drains – to avert flooding.
The engineers said the technology, which seemed forgotten, was used to arrest flooding in some parts of Lekki in Lagos State and held the key to averting flooding in the country.
They said with the technology, which could also be referred to as “No Dig Drainage”, would prevent loss of lives and property recorded annually when heavy rainfall, if adopted.
They added that if flooding was arrested, it would also tackle the menace of gridlock, resulting from high surface runoffs during the rainy season.
The engineers made the appeal at the World Engineering Day Lecture and Workshop, organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Apapa Branch, themed: “Reduction of Flooding in Lagos: The No Dig Drainage Technology Approach and Menace of Traffic in Apapa Axis.”
The National Vice Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), Mr Tokunbo Ajanaku, said that the technology represented the future for a better society.
He said: “No dig, is old, very old indeed; India, China, Egypt, Rome and in Old Benin city in Nigeria, have adopted it and it worked effectively for them.”
Ajanaku noted that those cities, rather than experience flooding, ensured that the water were basically diverted to other areas where it would be needed for agricultural purposes and others.
“Trenchless or no-dig technology indicates science of installing, renewing and repairing underground pipes, cables and ducts using techniques that eliminate the need for excavation of refuse daily from the drains.
“The terms drain relining and no dig technology refers to installing, renewing, and repairing underground pipes in a way that is much less invasive than traditional methods.
“Underground pipes, cables, and ducts can be repaired with these methods using techniques that eliminate the need for excavation. This means that a pipe can be cured in a place rather than dig up and replaced,” he said.
The national vice chairman said that the technology would extend the life of current drainage systems in Lagos state and get rid of the need to replace lined surface drains altogether, adding that, the method was quicker, smarter, and far cheaper.
Also, another civil engineer, Mr Tunde Jimoh, said that trenchless technology “is what is required for a commercial city like Lagos state where we have over 20 million dense population and built up areas all over the city.”
Jimoh argued that use of open drains and canals had failed periodically to curb the menace of flooding in the state, because they could not accommodate the seasonal runoff at the peak of the rainy season.
The expert noted that the technology could be adopted by the government for Lagos Island, Ebutte Metta, Victoria Island and Lekki which were densely populated.
“The conventional drainage pipe design for roads, ranges from 750mm – 1500mm or more, depending on the hydrological study of the area, rainfall intensity, run off data and other parameters required for design.
“The no dig or trenchless technology can be up to 2800mm in diameter,” Jimoh said.
Earlier, the Branch Chairman, Mr Sunny Ejeje, stated that the event was organised to create awareness on strategies that would ensure sustainable development in the country.
“Zero flood cannot be achieved in Lagos state because of its status but can be reduced drastically if the government adopts technologies like this that brings development to the state,” Ejeje said.