The Gombe State government has put proactive measures in place to mitigate the effects of floods and other impending environmental challenges the state is predicted to face as this year’s rainy season reaches its peak.
This is in response to the 2023 reports of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) which warned that some northern states, including parts of Gombe state might experience heavy rainfall together with thunderstorms and high winds in the coming months.
In the case of Gombe, NiMET and NHSA reports identified local government areas such as Nafada, Yamaltu Deba, and Balanga as having higher risk of flooding.
Director general press affairs to the state governor Isma’ila Uba Million in a statement he issued to journalists on Tuesday said Governor Inuwa Yahaya in a swift reaction to the warning directed the state Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources to work with all relevant stakeholders and activate state emergency response and management resources towards ensuring the safety of lives and property of the people while mitigating the effects of the impending weather events and their life-threatening consequences.
He said the Ministry had constituted a task force to engage all relevant stakeholders such as the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Gombe State Environmental Sanitation and Protection Agency (GOSEPA), Ministries of Works, Health and Education, as well as non-governmental organisations for regular consultative meetings to come up with ways of mitigating the impact of the incidents in case they occur.
“The Ministry has also engaged in aggressive advocacy exercise and community sensitization campaign on the new weather alert in all the envisaged flood-prone areas within the state on how people will take self-precautionary and mitigating measures.
“Government, through the Ministry of Environment has also embarked on desilting of drainages and water channels, and also desilting of at least a 2 kilometer radius in all the other ten local government headquarters in the state to prevent flash floods and allow for proper drainage of runoffs especially in densely populated areas”, he said.
