100 LGs in 23 States May be Devastated by Floods This Year, Experts Alert

 

It has been predicted that not less than 100 out of the 774 local government areas in 23 states in the country may witness flooding before the end of the current rainy season.

Some of the communities to be affected are said to be in the downstream of the Shiroro Hydro Electric dam.

Experts in hydrology, metrology, reservoir and environmental management on Thursday made the prediction at a stakeholders’ sensitisation forum organised by the North-South Power Company Limited at the Shiroro dam site.

They specifically warned that the rains would reach its peak in the states and the local government areas next month, and therefore told the communities to start moving to upland before the period.

The Chief Operating Officer of the North -South Power Company Limited, Mr. Ugochukwu Chioke, said although the area had not experienced serious flooding in the last 15 years, "it is pertinent to alert communities on the risk of venturing into the flood plain for economic activities."

Chioke said: “Before the dam was constructed, a study was carried out and there was mapping of the flood plains where farming activities are not expected to take place and the people were compensated and asked to vacate the river bank.”

He however said because of the huge deposits of nutrients by the river over the years, farmers found the plain a fertile ground for cultivation and consequently exposed their lives and property to danger adding that the company would continue to embark on intensive awareness campaign every rainy season on the inherent danger in the event of flooding

The Director General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr. Moses Beckely, urged the people in the high flood areas to heed early warning by the experts and also adhere to town planning guidelines as well as environmental laws.

He said the stakeholders meeting came ahead of September when the rainfall was expected to be in high torrents, adding that the warning was timely because it would go a long way to mitigate the effect of the expected flooding.