From JOHNFWAH, Kaduna
THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Kaduna Operations Office, joined stakeholders at the official flag-off of the River Kaduna Dredging Project, organised by the Kaduna State Government at Kabala Costain, to improve river flow and reduce flooding risk in nearby communities, with officials reaffirming their commitment to disaster management and environmental sustainability.
Speaking during the flag-off recently, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. Linda Yakubu, disclosed that the dredging would cover Barnawa, Living Faith axis and other flood-prone communities along the river.
She explained that the exercise was being carried out using a swamp buggy recently procured and approved by Governor Uba Sani to strengthen the state’s flood-control capacity.
Yakubu recalled that the swamp buggy was inaugurated earlier in the year, marking the first time Kaduna State deployed its own equipment for flood prevention.
She added that a similar intervention was completed in June around Airport Road, Kutungari, to ease water flow and protect residents’ homes and businesses.
The Permanent Secretary added that tributaries emptying into River Kaduna would also be cleared to further enhance the river’s carrying capacity.
She warned against the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways, stressing that mobile courts would sanction violators when monthly sanitation resumes in October.
Also speaking, the Assistant Chief Disaster Risk Reduction Officer at NEMA, Ikramat Muazu, described the dredging as a vital preventive action.
“Preventive measures are cheaper and safer than emergency responses.
“Proactive steps like dredging will save lives and reduce government expenditure on relief interventions.
“NEMA would intensify collaboration with state agencies to strengthen flood control and community resilience, “he said.
On his part, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) representative, Michael Balai-lbrahim, noted that the swamp buggy would effectively remove sandbars and debris, ensuring smoother water flow and reducing the risk of flooding.
He pledged NIWA’s continued technical support and enforcement of river-use regulations to curb harmful practices that worsen flooding.
Similarly, the Assistant Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Rahama Suleiman, said town hall meetings and sensitisation drives were being held across the state’s 23 local government areas to secure public cooperation.
She urged residents to support government efforts in mitigating the heavy flooding predicted this year by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).