The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency has urged residents of the state to take all necessary precautions against flooding in order to lessen its impact in their communities.
Mr Mohammed Garba, Director Relief and Rehabilitation, Gombe SEMA, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe on Monday.
Garba stated that the agency has been educating the public and providing the necessary information to help mitigate flood-related disasters.
He said that part of what the agency expected from residents was to stop dumping wastes in drainages and waterways, “a major factor contributing to flooding, especially when drainages are blocked and the huge volume of water create different routes for itself”.
The director said that the recent flooding experienced on May 14, in Bajoga in Funakaye Local Government Areas, was partly a result of wastes dumped in drainages.
He explained that SEMA’s analysis of the flooding in Bajoga showed that the damage was severe as both residents and houses were affected.
“There is a location where we have a big gully developing as a result of the volume of water, and this happened because residents dump their wastes inside the drainages in that area.
“As a result of that flooding in Bajoga, more than 40 houses were affected and no fewer than 21 persons were injured.
“This is why we are appealing to residents to cooperate with us and stop dumping wastes in drainages or building on waterways.
“Through community efforts, drainages blocked should be cleared so that rainwater can flow freely in the channels provided for such purposes,” he said.
On the flood outlook for Gombe State, the director said that unlike in 2022 when one LGA was predicted to experience flooding, in 2023, Balanga, Nafada, and Yamaltu/Deba LGAs were among the 178 LGAs in 32 states “highly probable to flooding”.
“The stake is a bit higher than that of the previous year and that is why we are engaging critical stakeholders to continue with the sensitisation and engagement to mitigate flood impact in the state.”
The director said that the massive sensitisation campaign was ordered by Gov. Inuwa Yahaya after an analysis of the flood outlook.
Garba said that based on the directive, sensitisation had been intensified across the three LGAs, while efforts were on to cover other areas across the state.
He added that the message of the sensitisation had always been on the need for people to desist from building on waterways and dumping wastes in drainages.
“No one can stop flooding entirely but we can all mitigate its impact,” he said.