As part of efforts to curb flooding in riverine areas, the Hydroelectric Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), on Wednesday, flagged off the construction of 570 metre drainage, dykes, and erosion control projects worth N212 million in Patigi, headquarters of Patigi local government area of Kwara State.
The managing director of HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, said that the commission has been, as a special area of concern, tackling of ecological problems, especially, prevention and control of flood and other environmental hazards.
Describing the erosion control projects in Patigi as strategic, Yelwa added that lack of drainages and dykes has multiple inherent negative effects on the environment and the people.
The HYPPADEC chief added that lack of erosion control mechanism “results not only to flooding (which in turn could lead to loss of lives and properties and spread of diseases), but it also reverses government’s efforts especially in terms of infrastructural development.
“Among other things, for example, it causes deterioration of roads and other critical infrastructure like the General Hospitals, Patigi. The importance of this project can, therefore, not be overemphasised.
“This is more so because the environmental hazards about to be tackled poses threats and causes distress not only to the inhabitants of the residential areas around the General hospital, but also to the multiple patients from the neighbouring communities in Kwara as well as Niger and Kogi states.”
In his remarks, the Etsu Patigi, Alh. Ibrahim Bologi II, urged HYPPADEC to intervene in the poor road infrastructure traversing the community.
Bologi, who said that the commission’s intervention with support of the state government would help to reduce suffering of the people, added that the area also lack electricity supply.
Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi, commended HYPPADEC for keying into government’s efforts in reclaiming the environment from imminent land degradation.
AbdulRazaq, who suggested interventions such as tree planting campaign – for afforestation, said that it would break heavy wind and reduce heavy flows of water during precipitations that wash away the soils and lead to gully erosions.
“Within year 2020 till now our government has intervened in different environmental management activities ranging from advocacies and sensitizations across the state – also on radio and television stations, dredging and building of embankments – for flood and erosion control in some parts of the state – including the Capital, massive tree planting exercises and afforestation campaign across the state, partnerships with relevant civil society/non-governmental Organisations and many more,” the governor stated.
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