Flood kills 3, displaces 3,620 people in Katsina

No fewer than three persons were reported dead while 3,620 others were displaced by flood in some parts of Katsina State in the last two months. Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkarim, the Acting Executive Director of the Katsina State Emergency Management Agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Katsina.

Abdulkarim said the flood disasters were recorded in 15 Local Government Areas of the state. He said the local governments seriously affected were Baure, Bindawa, Charanchi, Daura, Dutsi and Dandume. Others were Ingawa, Kusada, Katsina, Malumfashi, Matazu, Mai’adua Musawa, Sandamu and Zango. Abdulkarim said the state government has established camps for Internally Displaced Persons and victims of the flood in the state.

He said NEMA had distributed relief materials loaded in 11 trucks to the flood victims in the affected local government areas.

The director said SEMA had embarked on aggressive enlightenment campaign to warn the public against construction of houses on waterways, blockage of drains and dumping of refuse indiscriminately. Abdulkarim also said ecological committee was constituted in each local government to work with traditional institutions towards creating awareness on flood issue. He urged the government to review the environmental laws to conform to the reality of the present day situation. “Some of the laws were lighter to the extent that the offenders will not feel any impact of the fine, if found guilty,” he said.

He also appealed to the public to desist from constructing houses on swampy areas, waterways and dumping of refuse on the drainage as part of measures to avert flood disaster.