Benue taking steps to prevent flooding, says commissioner

Benue State is taking proactive steps to avert potential flooding, a measure prompted by a seven-day flood advisory issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency. The state government is diligently monitoring water levels daily to anticipate when evacuations might be necessary for residents in flood-prone areas.

Odoh Ugwu, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, stated that the state government consistently prepares for the rainy season. This preparation includes ensuring all water-level reading equipment is functional. "At the beginning of every year, we prepare for the rainy season and we start by ensuring that all the equipment we need in terms of water level reading and all that are intact, because we use it to know where the water level, where we are, to know when we are approaching the danger level and where we need to take action and all that," Ugwu explained.

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At the beginning of every year, we prepare for the rainy season and we start by ensuring that all the equipment we need in terms of water level reading and all that are intact, because we use it to know where the water level, where we are, to know when we are approaching the danger level and where we need to take action and all that

Beyond equipment readiness, the state is actively creating awareness among residents in riverine areas, urging them to move to higher ground if water levels rise. The commissioner also highlighted the role of ongoing infrastructure development, particularly road construction in Makurdi. These projects incorporate well-planned drainage systems that are significantly improving flood control in areas like Achusa, which previously experienced frequent flooding. Ugwu appealed to citizens to refrain from dumping waste in waterways and noted that the ministry is working with urban development authorities to remove structures built on waterways.

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Here in Makurdi before now, you will be hearing of the issue of flooding in Makurdi, particularly, Achusa area and other environs, but because of the rapid road construction that is going on, we will have less of that this year because most of these roads come with well-planned drainages that take care of most of these issues that we are talking about.