FLOOD LOOMS AS KAINJI, JEBBA, SHIRORO, ZUNGERU DAMS PREPARE TO RELEASE EXCESS WATER
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By: Sefiu Ajape
The four hydroelectric dams in Niger State, Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji, and Zungeru, have issued a notification that they may begin releasing excess water at any moment.
The notice, made available to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), stated that the dams were set to discharge excess water.
In response, NSEMA has alerted riverine communities in the state to relocate upstream, warning that the release could trigger severe flooding.
In a statement issued in Minna on Tuesday, NSEMA described the potential flooding as “catastrophic.”
The Director General of NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Arah, said the Nigerian Hydrological Services had also advised communities along Rivers Niger and Kaduna to relocate for the same reason.
“The dams are releasing thousands of gallons of water per minute that could lead to the overflow of these Rivers and so, we are advising our communities to limit activities around River banks during this peak raining season to avoid flooding. Similarly, people living at riverine areas should relocate to safer grounds already identified,” he said.
Arah added: “NiMeT’s latest prediction also indicated that the end of raining season will be accompanied by violent windstorm and that as a result, people should avoid standing under trees during rainfall and also stay away from substandard structures.
“The state is already experiencing negative impacts of the flooding with houses, farm lands, bridges and link- roads washed away in some local government areas located up and down streams of the four Dams and the development has rendered many homeless and also affected the socio-economic activities of the communities.
“Some of the affected local government areas are Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro and Wushishi,” he said, adding that loss of lives had been recorded in these areas.
However, Arah did not specify the number of casualties.
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