By Wole Mosadomi
Minna-The four hydro electric dams, Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji and Zungeru located in Niger State, have given notification towards releasing excess water from their dams any moment from now.
The notification which was made available to Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, stated that the four dams were set to discharge excess water.
In its reaction, the State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, has alerted communities in the riverine areas in the state to relocate upstream as a result of the directive from the four Dams to avoid the impending flood.
The agency in a statement in Minna, yesterday, said the flooding that would follow the discharge of water from these dams would be catastrophic.
The Director General of NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Arah in the statement also said the Nigerian Hydrological Services has subsequently advised that communities along Rivers Niger and Kaduna should relocate for 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 added.
Arah further said: “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,” adding that loss of lives had been recorded in these areas.”
However, he did not give the number of lives lost in the latest disasters.
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