By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Utsev, Thursday, recommended construction of new dams, desilting of old dams and rivers to control future flood disasters.

Utsev made the recommendation at the 145th National Economic Council Meeting, Chaired by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, as contained in a statement signed by his
Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Terhemen Oraduen, and made available to Vanguard.

The Minister, the installation of hydrological equipment and the development of dam safety practices were also critical steps to addressing severe flooding that has continue to cause damage across the nation.

According to the statement, he xplained that his Ministry is constructing dams nationwide as part of a strategic effort to mitigate the frequent flooding that affects homes, farmlands, infrastructure with negative impact on the national economy.

The statement reads in part, “He informed the Council that the Technical Sub-Committee on Evaluation of Dams, which he chairs was conducting an evaluation of dams across the country and the report from the committee will be submitted to the Inter-Ministerial Committee upon completion for onward presentation to the President for necessary action.

“The Minister noted that all thirty-six states, including the Federal Capital Territory, were affected by flooding this year, with Borno State worst hit.

“He emphasized that his Ministry, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, was promoting the use of data analytics and modeling for flood risk assessment to improve nationwide flood preparedness.

“According to him,NIHSA has issued eleven Annual Flood Outlooks (AFOs) since 2013 as part of efforts to raise awareness on the importance of a clean and safe environment.”

However, the Minister maintained that part of the measures to control flooding is for the State Governors to encourage their residents to avoid building on waterways and to ensure drainage channels are cleared to help mitigate the impact of flooding.