Following warnings of impending floods across the country, three states in the North-West have taken new measures, including relocation of people living in flood plains, to avert flood disasters.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) predicted severe flooding in 2023 based on the annual flood outlook released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and urged relevant authorities to take appropriate action.

Kaduna, Katsina and Kano took measures to prevent the floods or reduce their impact.

In Kaduna, the government said it had dredged River Kaduna as part of measures to reduce the river’s annual flooding and its tributaries. The dredging was done to increase the depth of the waterline to between 2.5 meters and three metres and its tributaries to at least 1.5 to 2 metres.

Haira’u Umar, director (environment) at the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority, said the dredging had helped check flooding in the Kaduna metropolis and its environs.

Ms Umar said the dredging of rivers around flood-prone communities in the state would be a continuous process. She listed the flood-prone communities as Hayin Danmani, Kamazou, Kabala West, Rafinguza and other flood plains within Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun and Igabi council areas.

Yusuf Muazu, another director of the agency, said the government had been working with stakeholders on flood mitigation efforts. He said the Ministry of Environment and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) installed Automated Flood Early Warning Systems and Weather Stations to mitigate flooding.

The State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) identified people living along waterways, documented them, and commenced demolition of some of the houses in collaboration with relevant agencies.

Muhammed Mukaddas, the KADSEMA executive secretary, disclosed that following NiMet’s seasonal prediction of 2022 probable risks, 5,000 households were assessed and supported with N35,000 unconditional cash transfers each to relocate to safety temporarily.

Meanwhile, in Katsina, where a flood recently claimed two lives in the state capital, Governor Dikko Radda has promised to step up measures through awareness creation to prevent flood disasters.

The governor did not, however, specify the measures the government will take to mitigate flooding, which has already affected many communities in Katsina, the state capital.

In Kano, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said it had been monitoring and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to implement strategies and emergency response plans to mitigate flooding.

The SEMA executive secretary, Isyaku Kubarachi, stated that the stakeholders were local emergency management committees and non-governmental and civil society organisations.

Nuradeen Abdullahi, NEMA’s Kano territorial coordinator, called for strict enforcement of environmental regulations to mitigate flooding and advised residents to avoid using substandard building materials.

(NAN)