The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA0 says it is committed to deepening efforts towards surmounting flooding in affected areas across the state.
Ishaya Chinoko, acting Zonal Director, North-West Zone, stated this on Thursday at a sensitisation programme tagged ‘Sensitization and Public Awareness on Proper Waste Management and Flood Preparedness in Kaduna’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agency and the stakeholders visited flood prone areas to sensitise the residents against flood as part of the two-day sensitisation programme.
Represented by Halima Sulaiman, Chief Information Office of the agency, Chinoko stressed the need for the residents to desist from dumping refuse in the waterways as the rainy season set in.
He said that the essence of the visit was to educate the residents of the state on the possible actions and the need for the communities to comply with early warning alerts.
Chinoko said, ” Improper solid waste disposal is majorly responsible for urban flooding which affects public health of residents.
”We are trying to make the people aware that flooding is caused by human interference through the indiscriminate littering of waste within the environment.”
Chinoko stated that the sensitisation was necessary and timely to avoid flood disasters following the prediction of Meteorologists that Kaduna was one of the areas prone to flood.
He added, ”We find it necessary to issue this warning because some residents are in the habit of dumping refuse in drains, which can cause flooding.”
The NEMA boss also warned the residents living in flood prone areas to move to higher grounds to avert disasters.
NAN reports that National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were also seen clearing drainages at major streets.
The President of NEMA CDS Group of the NYSC, Mohammed Adamu said flooding occurred as a result of deliberate blocking of drainage due to indiscriminate refuse disposal.
“If the psyche of the people is changed and their consciousness of the exercise aroused, sanitation will be made to be part of their schedule and part of their lives,” he added.
He appealed to Kaduna residents to ensure that they make use of the disposal bins which the government had made available to each street in disposing of their bins.
Adamu Suleiman, a community leader at Kigo road, commended the agency and NYSC for the support while assuring to maintain a clean environment.
NAN reports that present at the tour were personnel of the Red Cross, Federal Fire Service, Safety Awareness and Environmental support Initiative, SEMA, Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA), and other NGOs.
The communities visited were Ungwar Rimi, Rafin Guza, Kano road, Kigo road and Tudun wada, among others.(NAN
