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Flood Wreck Havoc In Niger, As Government Advises Riverine Communities To Relocate
From John Adams, Minna
Midnight rain which last till early hours of Thursday has swept parts of Lapai Gwari Community in Bosso local government of Niger state, leaving property worth millions of Naira swept away.
Over four hectares of farm land and no fewer than 20 fish pond were destroyed by the heavy down pour which began at about 10 pm and lasted till 5:00am Thursday.
The last night flood disaster is coming barely one month after rain storm destroyed property worth hundreds of millions in communities in Mokwa local government area of the state.
Worried by this development, the State Government has appealed to all Riverine Communities, particularly the flood prone areas in the State and those situated along the tributaries of river Niger, to be cautious and pay attention to the rising water levels in their areas.
The government in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mary Noel Berje in Minna on Thursday drew the attention of the communities to the impending flood warning by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency, NIHSA and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMET, which predicted that many LGAs in Niger State among other States fall within the highly probable flood risk areas for 2020.
NEMA had warned that there would be more rains in the coming days and people should be advised to evacuate from the flood prone areas due to high water level to prevent any disaster.
The State government advised that since the rising tide of the rivers could be uncontrollable, the riverine communities should immediately relocate to higher plains in order to avoid the catastrophic occasions by floods.
According to the government, “We are particularly worried about the perennial flooding and the fatality that comes with it. The state government is doing everything possible to mitigate the hardship suffered by our people as a result of the annual natural disaster”.
The statement also advised people in the urban areas against building on flood plains and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages, culverts and other waterways as a proactive measure to curb the flood menace.
“People living in urban areas of the State are therefore admonished to clean culverts and drainages around their vicinities in to avoid urban flooding.
Meanwhile, government has embarked on early flood warning public information and enlightenment campaigns to ensure that the riverine communities are adequately informed to prepare for and prevent eventual consequences of the flood.
The statement also directed the State Environmental Protection Agency, (NISEPA) and the Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) to be adequatly prepared for any eventuality.
