Residents panic as floods threaten Zaria
Unless urgent steps are taken, the ancient city of Zaria may yet experience another devastating flood as signs of the impending disaster are ripe can report. About 30 minutes heavy downpour in some parts of Zaria sent warning signals of a looming flood. It was the evening of Tuesday, July 24, 2018, when the heavy showers put virtually everything at standstill in the old town. The flooding waters that came with the rains submerged many houses and roads; an indication that had the downpour continued for more than 30 minutes, it would have been a different story by now.
A devastating flood witnessed in Zaria on Sunday, July 10, 2016, resulted in the loss of many lives, including a family of four.
During a sympathy visit at the time, Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Barnabas Bantex, promised that the state Ministry of Works would be mobilised to take measures that would prevent reoccurrence.
However, signs of a similar incident, or even worse, emerged on Tuesday. The state government is yet to take the concrete measures it promised, as most of the major waterways that cause flooding in the ancient city are still the way they were.
Aside the failure of government to address the challenge of the major waterways, investigation by
also revealed that indiscriminate refuse disposal by residents is another major issue that makes the ancient city flood-prone.
A community leader, Malam Aliyu Muhammad, solely blamed what he called human factor on the cause of flood that usually hits Zaria.
“In my own view, indiscriminate disposal of refuse is one of the factors leading to flood in Zaria. Many residents have formed the habit of dumping their refuse in waterways. Without being told, this is a bad habit and the people need to change in order to avoid a repeat of past disasters,” Muhammad said.
He advised owners of houses close to the Kubanni River and other major waterways to relocate, saying that life is more precious than any property.
Investigation by revealed that some residents usually vacate their houses whenever it rains, especially in the night. They only return after the downpour.
While residents pray to Allah to spare them, experts however say the prayers must be accompanied with action. “People must learn to respect the environment. One finds it difficult to explain how residents turn drainages and other waterways into refuse dumps. Unless we change our attitudes, negative impacts of climate change would continue to cause havoc in our communities,” Dr. Abdulrafi’i Abdulganiyi, a Soil Scientist with the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said.