Nigeria: Government Adopts Flood Protection Measures

The Benue Government on Sunday said it had adopted measures against mitigating the effects of flooding in the state.

The Director of Environment, Mr Daniel Iorshagher said that the state had adopted palliative measures of clearing all drains across the state to allow easy flow of storm water.

Iorshagher said the state government had also concluded projects aimed at temporary checking flood in the state pending the dredging of the Rivers Benue and Katsina-Ala.

The director said the government had also constructed culverts and embarked on other projects that would reduce the impact of any flood disasters.

“What the government has done within the past months is to constructs culverts, open blocked drains and carry out massive advocacy on the reality of environmental disasters such as flood.”

“The long term solution for flood is the dredging of the two major rivers in the state: River Benue and River Katsina-Ala.”

“Our people have come to accept the reality about flooding and they seem to be complying with environmental rules,” he said.

He, however, said that dredging of the rivers was beyond the capacity of the state government.

Iorshagher appealed to the Federal Government to hasten the dredging for the purpose of having a free-flood year.

He commended the efforts of the media in educating the people on the challenges of protecting the environment.

[mappress]

Source: NAN, June 17, 2013