FG to Initiate Flood Control Project in Kaduna

FG to Initiate Flood Control Project in Kaduna

By John Shiklam

The federal government has said that it will establish a flood control project in Kaduna to address the problems of flooding in Kaduna State.

The Acting Director, National Water Resources Institute, Dr. Martin Edufie, stated this on Monday in Kaduna in an address marking the 2020 World Rivers Day.

Speaking at the event with the theme: “Waterways in our Communities”, Edufie said the decision of the federal government to intervene in the flooding in Kaduna is based on the yearly study on flood in the state.

He said: “Very soon, we are going to have a flood control project in Kaduna. We are going to have flood walls on both banks of River Kaduna to protect the people.

“This is a result of our yearly study on flood in Kaduna State. Every year, we study the flood in Kaduna and submit our report to our minister.”

According to him, the Minister of Water Resources has taken steps to address the challenge.

He lamented that part of the problem of flooding is the encroachment on waterways by people and warned against any obstructions on waterways.

He said the World Rivers Day started in 2005, on every fourth Sunday of September to highlight the importance of rivers.

Also speaking, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Public Works and Infrastructure, Hajiya Balaraba Inuwa, noted that river pollution and climate change are challenges facing river development.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Bashir Lere, said climate change is having a multitude of immediate and long term impact on water resources across the world.

These, according to her, include flooding, drought, sea level rise in estuaries, drying up of rivers, poor water quality in surface and groundwater system.

“Even here in Kaduna, we are experiencing excessive rainfall which leads to flooding and damage to life and property across the city.

“The solution pivots on taking urgent action to utilise science and technology and innovation policies relevant to water audit and management,” the commissioner said.

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