HJRBDA moves to control flood in Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi states

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The Federal government of Nigeria through Hadeja Jamaare River Basin Development Authority(HJRBDA) promised to do all it best to control incidences of flooding, along the three operating states of the authority.
The Managing Director of HJRBDA Ma’amun Da’u Aliyu, gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen on achievement recorded under present administration.
Aliyu, who lamented that the devastating flood ravaging some part of the three states was avoidable, said sometimes it is caused as a result of typer grasess that blocked some part of the river.
He maintained that since the establishment of Hadeja river irrigation scheme during former president Shagari’s administration only present administration embarked on dredging,rehabilitating and expanding the scheme.
He added that in the last three years, HJRDA embarked on decilting the typer grasses along the Hadeja river valley to control the flooding and improve the irrigation system.
He reveals that “as part of continues efforts of decilting the typer grasses in the river, HDJRB will soon receive a heavy duty machine use for desilting and dredging the river”, he said.
According to him, the machine will be use for regular clearance and dragging of the river Hadejia which will help in the increase of water flow in the river and also address the perennial flooding that kill people and destroy farmland and properties worth billion of Naira .annually
He added that, hundreds of farmers and water users were trained and engaged by Hadejia Jama”are River Basing Development Authority (HDRBDA) for effective maintenance and protection of multi Millions dollars irrigation facilities in Kano and Jigawa state.
The MD further explained that, the Federal government in collaboration with World Bank embarked on the total rehabilitation of the irrigation scheme under Hadejia Jamare and other three River Basing Development Authority in the Northern Nigeria
The MD noted that, under the project known as Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMIN) carried out by Federal Government and World Bank, there is a component for training and capacity building of farmers to enable them take part in the maintenance of the irrigation facilities .
“Henceforth, after the TRIMIN project farmers will take ownership for maintenance of all primary Irrigation Facilities and Water ways, while federal government will take care the secondary facilities including Dams, Rivers and Main Canal”, he stressed.