Katsina Orders Demolition of Buildings on Waterway Alignments

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government yesterday ordered the state’s Urban and Regional Planning Board (URPB) to demolish all buildings erected on waterways in the state.

The Deputy Governor, Hon. Faruq Jobe gave the directive shortly after inspecting some flooded areas within Katsina metropolis, said the decision was to mitigate flooding in the state.

He urged the board to identify and pull down all structures erected on waterways channels to allow free flow of water on natural waterways and those constructed by the government.

Jobe averred that illegal structures and indiscriminate dumping of waste by residents, particularly in drainages, were the bane of the recent flood that ravaged Sabon-Ungwa, Tudun Katsira, Kofar Kaura, Kofar Marusa and Kofar Kwaya.

He said: “We have ordered the state Urban and Regional Planning Board to demolish all houses and other structures built on waterways in the affected communities to allow free flow of water.

“So, they (board) will go and sit down with the affected persons to develop a plan that will pave the way for the immediate reconstruction of water channels that had been blocked by the illegal structures to prevent the impacts of flooding in the state”.

He cautioned residents to refrain from dumping waste indiscriminately, building on waterways and to promote good hygiene practices in order to arrest floods in the state.

He explained that the previous government of Aminu Bello Masari expanded billions of naira on construction of drainages to tackle flooding but some “bad eggs” had truncated government’s efforts by building on waterways.

To mitigate the flood, Faruq said the present administration of Dikko Umaru Radda has commenced the expansion and rehabilitation of drainages in the state.

He, however, said the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has been directed to assess the immediate needs of the recent flood victims for onward provision of relief materials by the government.

A downpour, which overran the newly constructed Kofar Kaura and Kofar Kwaya underpasses, had led to the death of three persons while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the ancient city.

Worst hit areas include Kofar Kaura, Kofar Marusa, Tudun Katsira, Kofar Kwaya, Rahamawa and Sabon-Ungwa. The devastating flood restricted vehicular movement along Yahaya Madaki way, Mani House junction and many other major streets in the ancient city.