FG Lists States To Experience River Flooding

Federal Government has issued a warning that River flooding will begin by ending of July.

Gatekeepers News reports that according to FG, nineteen states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are likely to be affected.

It also warned that continual flooding might also escalate cholera outbreak in some states.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had on Wednesday revealed cholera outbreak has resulted in 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev while addressing journalists on Thursday, noted that the country has been experiencing flash/urban floods since May.

According to Utsev, the country is experiencing flash/ urban floods as a result of high rainfall intensities of long duration, and poor and blocked drainage systems in urban areas.

The minister added that by July end, Nigeria most likely will start experiencing River flooding, which might be more devastating.

He further listed states at high risk as Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Taraba, and FCT.

Utsev noted that the country is located at lowest portion of River Niger Basin, hence Nigeria should be prepared to experience flooding incidents once upper catchment of Basin gets flooded.

Speaking on situation with Lagdo dam in Cameroon, the Minister said operators had informed the country that they are currently filling the dam for hydropower generation, adding that the flow situation at Wuroboki is relatively normal now and there is no cause for alarm.

He also noted that the federal government is working towards mitigating annual flooding from release of water from Lagdo dam.

Utsev said the government has almost concluded plans to build buffer dams along water channels to camp water from the dam.

He further revealed that the designs of those dams had been done and that the government is almost at implementation stage.

The minister further warned that increasing flooding may worsen the ravaging cholera outbreak, adding that a presidential committee has been set up to know how the issue can be solved.

According to him, the committee is also looking at issue of open defecation, which is another causal factor for cholera.

Lastly, he urged the state, local governments, other stakeholders, and the general public to take measures to prevent the ugly flooding menace of past years.