The Kaduna State Government has commenced dredging of a 4,000-metre stretch of River Kaduna to expand its capacity and reduce perennial flooding.
Speaking at the flag-off, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. Linda Yakubu, said the project would cover Barnawa, Living Faith axis, and other flood-prone communities. She noted that the work would be executed with a swamp buggy procured with Governor Uba Sani’s approval.
Yakubu explained that the swamp buggy, inaugurated earlier this year, had already been deployed in areas like Airport Road and Kutungari to ease water flow and protect investments. She added that tributaries feeding into River Kaduna would also be cleared.
She cautioned residents against dumping refuse in waterways, warning that mobile courts would prosecute offenders once monthly sanitation resumes in October.
The Assistant Chief Disaster Risk Reduction Officer at NEMA, Ikramat Muazu, described the dredging as a vital preventive measure that would save lives and cut relief costs.
Also, NIWA’s Michael Balai-Ibrahim said the swamp buggy would remove sandbars and debris, while the agency continues regulating river use and enforcing safety standards.
Meanwhile, NOA Assistant Director Rahama Suleiman appealed to residents to support the government’s flood-control efforts in line with NiMet’s predictions of heavy rainfall.
