The Kaduna State Government has started dredging a 4,000-metre stretch of River Kaduna to expand its capacity and reduce yearly flooding.
During the flag-off on Friday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. Linda Yakubu, said the dredging would cover Barnawa, the Living Faith axis, and other flood-prone areas along the river.
She explained that the project was being carried out using a swamp buggy recently purchased and approved by Governor Uba Sani to strengthen the state’s ability to control floods.
Yakubu recalled that the swamp buggy was launched earlier this year, making it the first time Kaduna State used its own equipment for flood prevention.
She added that a similar project had been completed in June around Airport Road, Kutungari, to ease water flow and protect homes and businesses.
She also said tributaries that flow into River Kaduna would be cleared to further improve the river’s capacity.
Yakubu warned against dumping refuse into waterways, stressing that mobile courts would punish offenders once monthly sanitation begins again in October.
Also speaking, Ikramat Muazu, an Assistant Chief Disaster Risk Reduction Officer at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), described the dredging as an important preventive measure.
He said, “Preventive actions are cheaper and safer than emergency responses. Proactive steps like dredging will save lives and reduce government spending on relief efforts. NEMA will continue to work with state agencies to strengthen flood control and community resilience.”
On his part, Michael Balai-Ibrahim, a representative of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), said the swamp buggy would help clear sand and debris, allowing water to flow better and reducing the chances of flooding.
He promised NIWA’s continuous technical support and strict enforcement of river-use rules to stop harmful practices that make flooding worse.
Similarly, Rahama Suleiman, an Assistant Director at the National Orientation Agency (NOA), said town hall meetings and sensitization campaigns were ongoing across the 23 local government areas of the state to get public cooperation.
She appealed to residents to support government efforts to prepare for the heavy flooding predicted this year by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
