Borno State Government has assured the residents of Maiduguri and environs that the area cannot be submerged by water as efforts are ongoing to check the seasonal flooding resulting from overflow of Alau Dam.
Alau Dam with a reservoir capacity of 112 million cubic meters was designed to support irrigation activities on the Alau river bank and to supply tap water in Maiduguri Metropolitan and Jere local government areas.
Parts of Maiduguri and Jere is presently flooded as the Alau Dam overflown into residential areas.
Th me Secretary to Borno State Government, Alhaji Bukar Tijani who went around on Thursday to assess the Alau Dam and damages present overflow has caused, assured residents that the Dam is not broken.
The SSG added that the state government is working with the Chad Basin Development Authority to take steps to protect Maiduguriri from flooding.
He said, “There have been a lot of worries as well as speculations that the whole Dam has broken down, but the dam has not broken down.”
“We have been to Alau Dam on behalf of His Excellency, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, Executive Governor of Borno State.
“Borno State Government is partnering very strongly with the managers of Alau Dam. We have discussed and seen what to do, but the rumour of Maiduguri being flooded is not there”, he assured.
Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has sent a high-powered delegation to assess the impact of water overflow at Alau Dam which is threatening Maiduguri Metropolis and its environs.
Alhaji Bukar Tijani, the Secretary to Borno State Government, led the delegation. They were received by Engr Mohammed Zannah, the acting Managing Director of Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) at Alau Dam on Thursday.
The delegation comprises Engr Baba Bukar Gujibawu, SA to the Governor on Monitoring and Evaluation, Engr Adam Bababe, Executive Secretary, Borno Geographic Information Service, Engr Sadu Auno, Executive Secretary, Borno State Road Maintenance Agency and the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Mohammed Saidu Barkindo.
While briefing the SSG, Zannah disclosed that despite the high water level in the river which led to overflow, the present conditions do not pose a severe threat to the city, noting that all necessary measures were put in place to control the situation.
Michael Olugbode
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