By Victor Christopher
Many residents of Yamadawa B of Dorayi within Kano metropolis have fled the vicinity as persistent rainfall is severely damaging their houses and other structures, raising safety concerns in the area.
Grassroots Parrot had reported how two brothers were swept away by flood following a heavy downpour at Kwarin Goje community in the Kumbotso local government area of Kano State .
Dorayi, situated under the Gwale local government area , is the latest victim experiencing significant flooding due to inadequate drainage systems, trapping over 50 homes in the last three months.
Lawan Musa is among the affected residents. Like many others in the community, he placed pebbles on the waterlogged streets to walk in and out of his 5-bedroom flat due to the stagnant water caused by the flood.
To keep his family safe from high waters, Musa was left with no choice but to put the house up for sale and move to a safer environment with less tendency to flood.
Since moving into the community from Rijiyar Zaki barely a month ago, the family has had sleepless nights as the floods ravaged their home.
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“The water does come from underneath. I woke up one night and was shocked because I had never seen that before. And this happened because of the stagnant water. I’m not used to it, so I have decided to put my house for sale because I can’t cope with this.”.
As Musa and his family live in constant fear and anxiety, a housewife, Sa’adatu Haliru, narrates how the flood destroyed the foodstuff she stored in her kitchen, including rice, beans, and corn flour, among others.
“The rain that fell on Saturday destroyed all our foods. We woke up at midnight and saw ourselves and the food items inside the water. We want the government and philanthropists to rescue us.”. Haliru said.
Another victim of this reoccurring environmental disaster who did not want her name on print fled the community with her children to her family house for shelter after the flood submerged their home.
“The room is usually filled with water, and it soaks everything up. You won’t even believe that people still stay here because of the damage. When it got worse 3 weeks ago, we had to leave for my family’s house. It is that bad,” she said.
READ ALSO: Flood Claims 31 Lives In Kano
With the frequency and intensity at which floods are ravaging the community, residents are calling for immediate action by the concerned authorities.
Sunusi Mukhtar said, “The stagnant water has reduced the quality of my house; if not for God’s protection, it would have collapsed by now. My wife’s room is completely ruined, including our food items. The government should come to our aid.”.
Musa Datti said, “Just look at how bad all the houses are. We are pleading with the government to do the needful before we lose everything,” he pleaded.
During a visit to the community, our correspondent observed that residents build structures without proper drainage, which makes the water flow remain stagnant on abandoned lands, buildings, and fences.
Also, Grassroots Parrot’s investigation revealed that whenever it rains, the water from Bayero University, Kano BUK’s Old Site, Kuntau, and Dorayi Karama flows through Yamadawa before penetrating the community.
The community leader, Abdulsalam Tijjani Muhammad Dala, told our correspondent that the community members constructed a drainage system to ensure free flow of water some years back, but the project fell short of the required capacity of the water that flows in and out of the community.
“We need the government to provide drainage in this community because the water that passes through here is too much. We contributed about N800,000 to construct this drainage, but it is too small to carry the water.” He said.
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When contacted, the Chairman of Gwale Local Government, Abubakar Mu’azu Maujo, said he is yet to receive any complaint from the residents, urging them to document their plight and report to the LGA for prompt action.
“We didn’t know about their condition because they did not report to the local government authorities. So I’m calling them to document their plight, stating what they need, and we will get approval and do the work for them,” he assured.
Also reacting, the Director of Environmental Pollution Control of the State Ministry of Environment, Abba Adamu Takai, said, “The State Government is committed to clearing drainage systems in the state to address the lingering flood in the state.”.
READ ALSO: Many Graves Left Open As Flood Washes Away Cemetery in Zaria
This came as the Kano State Emergency Agency (SEMA) confirmed on Wednesday that the flood had killed at least 31 people and ravaged many houses in the state.
Also, in its flood update released on Thursday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says flooding has so far killed a total of 179 people in 15 states and displaced 208,655 others in 22 states within this year.
The agency also said 107,652 hectares of farmland and 80,049 houses were destroyed by the flood.