Kashimbilla dam to eliminate flood threat
The need for Nigeria to stabilise Lake Nyos or built a proper dam became imperative in order not to allow history to repeat itself. Lake Nyos, located in the Cameroun Mountains, erupted years back and lots of people died in the Cameroun from the gas that came out of it. Although Nigeria did not die from the eruption, the stability of the lake is what is of concern to Nigeria. Presently, experts have stated that the lake is very unstable.
The idea of constructing Kashimbilla multipurpose buffer dam in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State is to ensure protection against the possible flooding from, and collapse of, Lake Nyos. However, the idea was later developed to cater for other benefits that could arise from the construction of the dam.
The completion of the multipurpose buffer dam will eliminate any possible flood threats that may arise in the region as a result of the break of Lake Nyos or flow from Katsina Ala as stated by the experts.
However, if the lake breaks and flows into River Katsina Ala dam, that means the threat of flood is gone and we will have a large volume of water, this was stated by Director of Dams in the Ministry of Water Resources, Emmanuel Adanu, during the presentation of the project.
The dam has the capacity to hold 500 million cubic of water and serve as a buffer against the possible collapse 50 million cubic of water from Lake Nyos and flow from River Katsina Ala.
This volume of water was arrived at after the review of the project from its initial plan when conceived, thereby adding the project scope and structures.
The project was divided into phases and including the construction of multi-purpose dam which is to serve as a control measure to contain overflow of water, construction of water treatment plant, access road, hydro-power plant, air strip, irrigation network, staff housing units and pipeline for water conveyance to Takum town and its environs. The dam height has been completed but water has not been diverted into it, while the air strip has been completed and received its first landing recently when the Minister for Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe was on inspection tour to check the progress of work done at the dam.
Ochekpe said Kashimbilla dam has received more attention than any other dam and it will be completed this year. She added that the air strip will serve as a fast link to the community for evacuation should the lake breaks before completion. However, the report from the project coordinator stated that water will be channelled into the dam by March.
The hydro power plant is ongoing and has a capacity to channel 400 mega watts of electricity to the national grid. The irrigation scheme has about 3,000 hectares but it is yet to start operation.
Ochekpe stated that the project is about 75 percent completion, adding that President Jonathan has made available sufficient fund to complete the project. She said that, so far, about N104 billion has been expended on the project.
The expansion of the project into phases, however, calls for additional funds and integration of other agencies which include Ecological Fund Office (EFO) and Ministry of Power to partner with the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure its successful completion.
The Permanent Secretary of EFO, Goni Sheik, while speaking to reporters after the tour of the project recently, said: “Our own is to partly fund it on the instruction of the President and we have contributed N18.6 billion and we also take part in monitoring of the project implementation as well.”
He added that the intervention of the fund was imperative to ensure that the environment is safe.