The Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed plans to upgrade the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State immediately. The development was announced on Thursday by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Funmi Imuetinyan.
The statement disclosed that the government made the new decision to tackle the regular and persistent rate of flooding that has been happening in the state with the aim of stoping the overflow of the dam to be a solution to the flood which has been happening in the state for years.
The statement disclosed that the minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev made the disclosure in Maiduguri on Thursday while speaking on the recent flood incident that happened in the state. The minister was said to had visited the state alongside the minister of state for the ministry Bello Goronyo.
Other individuals who were on the trip with the minister were technical directors, water experts, heads of agencies, and senior government officials. The statement disclosed that the team, upon arrival in the state, thoroughly assessed the flooded areas and communities.
The mister noted that the ministry has deployed a team of experts who are already on-site to assess the state’s Alau Dam. The team will conduct a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the Dam’s current condition and recommend swift action to enhance its capacity.
The minister noted that the government was committed to an overhaul of the critical infrastructure of the Dam. He noted that the upgrade of the facility was not negotiable in any case, explaining the government will conduct a good investigation to ensure that the project was conducted at a high standard explaining that every act of poor execution will be punished by the government.
The minister also disclosed that the federal government would collaborate with the state government to cure the spread of waterborne diseases in the state as the reconstruction work is ongoing at the dam.
Utsav, while speaking, further noted that the government will provide sanitation kits to the people who were displaced by the flood incident in order to intervene in any aspect of disease spread in the state.
While responding, the governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, appreciated the minister and the team for their visit to the state and the immediate response the incident had received from the government. The minister also appreciated the government for the level of support it has received in the past days arising from the flood incident.
The governing advised the ministry to conduct a detailed study of the dam to assess its capacity, establish hydraulic structures, and enhance the flood forecasting system.
He also called on the ministry to invest in the state to tackle desertification and invest in clean energy and irrigation systems to combat the escalating impacts of climate change.
The flood which happened in the state has been thought to have displaced residents, submerged farmlands and homes, and disrupted economic activities across Maiduguri. In the figures released by the government, it was disclosed that 414,000 people have been displaced and another 30 killed by incident which happened earlier in the week.
