The Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), has enlisted the services of experts to identify areas of possible interventions against the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) prediction of flood in this year.
The managing director of the commission, Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Ohimege-Igu of Koton-Karfe, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Sani Isah-Koto, on Sunday at his palace in Koton-Karfe.
The HYPPADEC boss had received warning from NiMet indicating possible heavy flooding this year (2023) beyond 2022 experience hence the need for plans to mitigate impact of flooding from the two major rivers in the country .
He said that against this backdrop, the commission had embarked on critical assessment and appraisal of the six most affected local government areas in the state using experts from within and outside the commission to identify areas of intervention to mitigate the likely effects of the floods.
“That’s why members of the governing council and the management committee decided to approve for us to come and meet with you and the ministry of Environmental to see what intervention we can implement before the rains set in.
“We have done a lot of studies and met a lot of consultants to ensure that what we want to do here will solve the flood problems forever”, he said.
The traditional title holder of Katukan Yauri warned the 10 flood-prone local government areas and riverine communities in Kogi to guard against the NiMet prediction.
In his response, the traditional ruler, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Sani Isa-Koto commended the efforts of commission so far in providing succour for flood victims in the areas saying that HYPPADEC had become a household name in the communities.
He however, said that the red alert from NiMet over possible flooding this year, had left his people in fear even as they are yet to recover from the devastating effects of the 2022 flooding.
