A devastating flood in the Kafanchan in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State has claimed the lives of two children, washed away farmlands and displaced hundreds of people.
The Vice Chairman of Jema’a Local Government Area, Christy Usman, who made the disclosure, said the incident followed heavy rainfall in the area some days ago.
According to him, the Kaduna State Flood Assessment Committee led by the Chief of Staff to Governor Uba Sani, Sani Kila, has visited the area to assess the impact of flooding in the southern part of the state.
During the visit, the Governor’s Chief of Staff warned residents against building along waterways and indiscriminate dumping of refuse on drainage to mitigate flooding during the rainy season.
Kaduna, located in the North-West zone is among the states predicted to witness flooding, and so far, Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna North and Jema’a local government areas have been affected, while others are on red alert.
With the water level rising, roads in some communities in Kaduna North have been covered by flood, leaving residents to resort to the use of wooden canoes to access their communities.
The Kaduna State Assessment Committee on Flood visited some of the affected areas to assess the impact of the flood and to also provide support as well as sensitise the people on some environmental safety measures to mitigate potential flooding
The committee also visited Kafanchan in Jema’a local government area where two children were killed by heavy flooding some days ago. The flood also affected farmlands in Jagindi, Atuku, Aso and Bade wards.
In Sanga local government, five communities were cut off due to a collapsed bridge while some houses came down due to heavy rainfall.
While the assessment committee is expected to make its findings and recommendations to Governor Uba Sani at the end of the assessment tour, the Kaduna State Government is however appealing to the federal government to support those already impacted by the flood disaster to complement the efforts of the state with additional relief materials.
