Place your Adverts!!
The Federal Government has issued a warning of impending flood along the River Benue and River Niger as the water levels are increasing and almost reaching a critical level.
Joseph Terlumun Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, gave the warning during a press briefing following the recent devastating floods in Maiduguri and Jere, Borno State.
The Borno incident occurred after a Dam overflowed,following rising water levels from the Ngadda River leading to the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure, displacement of people, and wastage of farmlands.
The Minister said: “The attention of Nigerians is hereby drawn to the probable river flooding on rivers Niger and Benue and some of their tributaries. The daily flow on these rivers indicates a significant increase in flow levels tending towards RED alert.
“This warning means that a large volume of water is moving through our rivers down to the delta region. Therefore, we should increase vigilance on all ramifications and step up proactive measures to address any eventual flooding events in the southern part of the country.”
He reiterated that teams from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the National Water Resources Institute, and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency are presently in Maiduguri assessing the damage caused by the overflow of the Dam. Their findings will guide recovery efforts, but the government’s priority presently is to prevent further devastating outcomes, across the country.
The minister also said that President Bola Tinubu has approved ₦108 billion to be distributed to all 36 states to tackle flood incidence. The strategic plan outlines actions to be taken before, during, and after flooding, as agencies and stakeholders were assigned critical roles, as he further warned “As we work to recover from this disaster, let us also remember that our water sources may be contaminated. I urge everyone to take necessary precautions to avoid the outbreak of waterborne diseases,”
“As we try to recover from this tragedy, I wish to implore all governments at the sub-national level and stakeholders to take heed to the flood early warning information from the Ministry and take proactive measures to forestall future flooding and activate response measures to alleviate the suffering of the citizens that have been affected by floods.” He finally stated.
