Daisi Charles.
One individual has been officially reported as deceased, with two individuals successfully rescued from the flooding that wreaked havoc in several Plateau State communities on Sunday.
Sunday Abdu, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, shared this information with us in Jos on Monday, after leading his team and other stakeholders to evaluate the situation in the affected areas.
Abdu, emphasizing that flooding is a natural disaster, attributed the incident primarily to human activities. He remarked, “After conducting an assessment of the affected communities, it became evident that the recurring issue revolves around the construction of buildings along waterways, obstructing these water paths, unauthorized erection of structures, and the indiscriminate dumping of waste.”
“These are the indices that triggered the overflow of water in the area. Of course, it is a natural disaster but because of these blockages, it is man-made, resulting in the flood.
“From our report, the flood carried three children but the people were able to save two of them and one was not found. That is the situation, so, it’s not true that three persons died as a result of the flood.”
The SEMA boss, however, tasked the state regulatory agency to brace up for the challenge of illegal structures.
He additionally cautioned residents to refrain from constructing buildings along waterways for their well-being.
It’s worth noting that approximately 100 households were displaced by the flood in various communities, including Anguwan Rogo, Rikkos, Bauchi Road, and Naraguta communities in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. This followed a continuous downpour that persisted from Saturday through Sunday.
