The Kaduna State government has started a large project to widen and clean rivers and streams in areas that often get flooded. This is to help prevent the kind of serious damage that happened in the state last year
This action was taken after warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which said that Kaduna is one of the states that may face heavy rain, floods, and strong winds this rainy season.
While visiting the dredging site at Ifira, near the Kaduna International Airport Road in Igabi Local Government Area, the Environment Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Buba, said the government had found places at high risk of flooding and is working on them quickly.
He said, “This place was blocked before, but we have now cleared about 800 meters of the river. This will help the water flow better and stop disasters like last year’s.”
He added, “This road is important because it leads to the Kaduna International Airport. We can’t let it be affected.”
The commissioner promised that the government is working hard to prevent flooding this year. He also warned people not to throw garbage into drainage channels.
He said a special court run by the Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) has been set up to punish anyone caught dumping trash in waterways.
He said that the dredging work is being managed together by the Ministry of Environment, ACReSAL, NEMA, KADSEMA, NOA, and other groups.
Other places that will get similar help include areas in Zaria, Kafanchan, and parts of the state capital.
At a bridge that connects Kaduna city to the airport, which used to be at risk from erosion, Buba said the government is doing all it can to stop flooding this year.
Engineer Sanjay Sharma, who manages a company nearby, said the work was a great help. “Last year’s flood was terrible. Many farmers lost their crops. This early action by the government is a good step,” he said.
The village head of Ifira, Malam Balarabe Abubakar, also praised the project. “Every year, our farms were destroyed by floods. This will help us keep our crops safe,” he said.
Ikramat Umar Mohd, a top official from NEMA, said the state’s early actions to prevent disasters are a good example for others. “This bridge is very important. The best way to manage disasters is to stop them before they happen,” he said.
