FCTA intensified effort to prevent flood 

Hudu Yakubu, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has intensified efforts to prevent flood disaster in communities in Kwali Area Council affected by flood in 2020.

Mrs Florence Wenegieme, Deputy Director, Forecasting Response and Mitigation, FEMA, who led a team from various agencies to assess flood prone areas in the communities, on Monday, commended the Federal Government for reconstructing bridge washed away by flood in 2020.

” We are approaching the rainy season or rather the rains has started and that is why we come here on assessment to know the condition and position of the bridge that link the various communities in Kwali Area Council.

” So that we know what we can do for members of this community when the rains become very heavy,” she said.

Wenegieme, therefore, cautioned farmers against farming activities in flood prone areas, stressing that farmers must stop farming on the river banks and building on water ways.

She noted that it was very dangerous for farmers to carry out farming activities in flood prone areas.

” We are here in continuation of joint assessment of flood prone areas in the Federal Capital Terriory, which we started on March 31, 2021.

” Today, we are here in Kwali Area Council at Dafa and Tunga communities. In 2020, the bridge that linked the two and other communities was washed away by flood and the members of the communities were crossing the bridge with the help of our Local Diverse.

” Because the bridge completely cut off and the two communities and host of other that were using the bridge were completely cut off and farmers couldn’t move their from products to Urban centre.

” We earlier came here for assessment and we saw what happened and compiled our reports, after that the government promised that something will be done.

” We are glad to see that something is done as we are here on assessment again and we realised that the Federal Government has intervened. You can see that the bridge is almost completed and we say kudos to the government,” Wenegieme said.

She disclosed that initially the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu were planning to deployed local canons in the communities when the rains becomes very heavy.

” But we thank God that the bridge is almost completed and you can see that the people of the communities have started using the bridge so there is no need of bringing any canon to this community again.”

Wenegieme said that FEMA had carried out an aggressive sensitsation campaign in the area, adding that the agency covered almost 25 communities in the area council.

Also, Engineer, Abba Nasiru of Schwartz Construction Ltd., the company handling the bridge project, said the work was about to be completed.

” Actually, the work is on and we are about to complete it. As you can see we have laid the ashphalt work, we are just waiting for some finishing touches like the shoulders and the rest.