Lagdo dam threat: C/River moves to avert flood disaster

The Cross River government is adopting proactive measures to avert the likelihood of flood in the coastal state from the discharge of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroun.

Vincent Aquah, the director general, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) told journalists in Calabar at the weekend that SEMA was mobilising other stakeholders including the vulnerable communities on how best to mitigate the impending disaster.  Aquah said that intensive sensitisation and enlightenment would be carried out through the media as well as interpersonal interactions.

Cross River which is geographically located in the south-south part of the country with several rivers and streams traversing its landscape is highly vulnerable to any swelling of the water channels which could cause flooding.

The state has over six major rivers which are all inter-connected with the coastlines inhabited by people in villages and towns as well as farm lands where rice, yams, cassava, corns, melons and vegetables are grown.

These coastal towns and villages are often flooded during the rainy season and could be aggravated should excess water from the Lagdo Dam be discharged.

It would be recalled that in 2012 when similar incident occurred, the Federal Government rated Cross River in category B of the disaster profile as a result of the magnitude of the disaster in the state.

MIKE ABANG