In an effort to mitigate the usual occurrence of flooding along the river channels in Niger State during the raining season, the National Emergency Management Agency said it will meet with the managements of the three Hydro Power Dams in the state.
Making the announcement in Minna, the Niger State capital, in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday was the Deputy Coordinator of the state’s Operation Office of NEMA, Adulrazaq Musa.
Musa said the dam managers to be met by the agency are those of Shiroro Dam, Kainji Dam and Jebba Dam.
According to him: “They said Shiroro Dam is strategically placed in Niger State in view of the fact that there is confluence of three rivers there.
“And during the peak period of the raining season, starting from September ending, they usually release water gradually to avoid round breakage of the dam.
“And prior to that time, the three usually carried out sensitization exercise or warnings for communities living along the dams streams or river banks, with the view that the residents of these communities should move to uplands.
“And they usually have a bell and by the time the bell was rang severally within 10 days, the dams managers would thereafter move to the communities and inform the people on the need to move upland.
“But over the years, it has been observed that some of the residents ignored such warnings, thereby causing damage along the down streams.”
The NEMA boss has however enjoined the dams managers in the state to ensure it was informed before releasing water this year with a view to reducing the negative impact of incessant flooding of the communities along the river banks in parts of the state.
Musa also explained that the state’s Operations Office of NEMA had organized workshops on flood prevention, mitigation and preparedness, with some stakeholders, both in the state and Kwara State, in order to discuss preparedness for the raining season.
He also said: “NEMA had organized meetings of experts to digest the seasonal rainfall predictions by NIMET with a view to digesting the implications of disaster management across various sectors like health, agriculture, water among others as well as telling the stake holders and the people generally.”
He said NEMA has also mapped out strategies in collaborating with some stakeholders in recommending some measures that need to be taken to reduce its impacts on the larger society.