NEMA Attributes Flood Disaster to Absence of Buffer Dams

 

The Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Mr Umesi Emenike, said this in an interview in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Emenike explained that the essence of the buffer dams was to take in the water released from over-flowed dams, adding that the water speed would have been reduced if the buffer dams had been functional.

``The flooding started from North Central where we have Lokoja, Minna, Jos and those areas to Port Harcourt and another flank from Cross River.

``When the flood started, we realised it was as a result of the release of water from dams so that the dams won’t collapse.

“Ordinarily, if we have buffer dams, it would have reduced the water speed but because buffer dams are not ready, the water just moved.

“And the tendency is that the water moved by the normal speed of the major rivers and naturally also, the water finds its level, it definitely get to all the places that are at that water level.

``Now, the water moved down from Cross River to part of Akwa Ibom , another one moved from Edo, Delta into Bayelsa and entered into Rivers.``

Emenike said that the excess water was eventually emptied into the ocean through Bayelsa and Rivers.

He said that the flood had receded because the source was also receding, adding that when the flood fully receded, the next stage would be to resettle the victims of the disaster.