The Niger Delta and the southern states have received a warning from the federal government to prepare for potential flooding.
Additionally, the administration disclosed that, contrary to original speculation, the Ngadda River overflow rather than the collapse of the Alau Dam was the source of the recent disastrous flood in Maiduguri.
The Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, is still intact, according to Engineer Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, during a news conference.
He clarified that the flood was caused by enormous inflows that overflowed the dam’s dike from the Ngadda River, a significant tributary of the River Yedzaram.
Utsev visited the flood-affected districts with Bello Goronyo, the minister of state for water resources and sanitation, to examine the devastation and offer their condolences to the Borno State government and people.
Utsev pledged to completely renovate and modernize the Alau Dam. He declared that it is non-negotiable and that authorities or contractors who perform poorly will face consequences.
As part of the ministry’s quick response, he pledged to give displaced people water treatment facilities and sanitary kits.
The minister did, however, clarify that earlier irrigation checks in the southwest were the reason for the arrival’s delay. He did, however, guarantee that the Alau Dam will take precedence.
Origin of the flood in Maiduguri
He stated: “We didn’t really anticipate that the amount of water that arrives this year will be this significant.
“The excessive rainfall was caused by climate change, and the rivers were unable to hold the water.” Furthermore, additional unanticipated water was spilling into Alau Dam and over the dyke.
“The Alau Dam did not give way. It was one of the dykes that overflowed the dam because it was unable to contain the extra water from the streams.
“The government and the good people of Borno State are deeply in our sympathies regarding the flood disaster that occurred a few days ago. This includes the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation as well as the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
Millions of Nigerians were impacted by this flood calamity, which destroyed houses, property, farms, roads, vital infrastructure, and other assets, among other things. I can relate to all of you as we work to get through this trying period.
“The overflow of water from Alau Dam, which is approximately 10 kilometers from Maiduguri city center, was primarily responsible for this flood disaster that impacted Maiduguri and Jere districts of Borno State. This was due to tremendous influx from Ngadda river, a major tributary of River Yedzaram.
Together with the leaders of my ministry’s agencies and parastatals, the Minister of State, Bello Mohammad Goronyo, and I traveled to Maiduguri to show our support for the governor of Borno State and to gauge the extent of the flood’s destruction.
As I write this, a team of technical experts from the Ministry, the Chad Basin Development Authority, the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI), and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) are physically present in Alau Dam to assess the situation and the extent of the flood disaster, and they will be coming up with helpful conclusions and recommendations.
The Minister claims that in the interim, reports of comparable visits in the states of Bauchi, Sokoto, and Kebbi have been generated, and appropriate action is being taken.
In addition, he issued a warning, saying, “We should please be mindful of this, so as to avoid further outbreak of waterborne and communicable diseases,” because the water that people consume may be tainted.
Imminent Flood Catastrophe
He did, however, issue a warning that the Niger Delta region and other southern states will see severe flooding. Therefore, in order to lessen the effects, the people and the government should implement emergency measures.
We lament the deaths in Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, and other flood-affected areas. Nigerians are thus alerted about the possibility of flooding on the Niger and Benue rivers, as well as some of its tributaries.
“These rivers’ daily flow shows a noticeable rise in flow levels that is heading toward a red warning.
This alert indicates that a significant amount of water is passing through our rivers and into the delta area.
He stated, “Therefore, we should step up proactive measures to address any eventual flooding events in the southern part of the country and increase vigilance on all ramifications.”
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