Kano farmers groan as dam water washes away farmlands

From Ibrahim Musa Giginyu, Salim Ibrahim Umar & Sadiq Adamu, Kano

Farmers in Kano have continued to count their losses following the overflow of the Tiga Dam which has sacked their farmlands. 

This is coming months after the farmers lamented their inability to use the dam during the dry season because it was closed for some repairs, only for the same dam to become an albatross for them in the wet season farming. 

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“We could not farm during the dry season because they closed the dam for some repairs and you know almost all of us depend on the dam during the dry season. Look at us again, during the wet season, hoping to recover from the lack of farming during the dry season, only for the same dam to destroy our farmlands,” one of them lamented. 

For several decades, Tiga Dam has been a major source of water supply to irrigation sites in Kano State. The dam is seen as the state’s oil rig, as it caters to irrigation farmers’ water needs as well as a major source of water for herders during the dry season. The dam, which was opened in 1974 during the administration of Governor Audu Bako, was said to have been constructed to improve food security through irrigation projects and also to put the state’s vast agrarian land into use. 

The dam covers an area of 178 square kilometres (69 sq mi) with a maximum capacity of nearly 2,000,000 cubic meters (71,000,000 cu ft). It is also on record that water from the dam supplies the Kano River Irrigation Project as well as some other water-related projects in Kano. 

However, a viral video last week created serious panic in the minds of farmers as well as residents with the narration accompanying the video suggesting that Tiga Dam had collapsed and its water has washed away bridges, major roads and farmlands. But the federal government earlier in the week dispelled the rumours during an assessment visit to the dam, where it said it established that the dam was still in its perfect state and that the level of water in the dam had not risen. 

But farmers and residents of Tiga and neighbouring local government areas insisted water that spilled over from the dam had sacked their farmlands, appealing to the government to compensate them for their losses.

Findings by Daily Trust on Sunday also revealed that farms located in Bebeji, some parts of Kura, Rano and Kumbotso local government areas have been seriously affected by the water from the dam and most of these farms are presently inaccessible to the owners as they were all submerged in water.

Aminu Shehu is a farmer in Bebeji and according to him, he has lost virtually everything on the farm. His maize plantation, which has done very well, has been consumed by the water.

“Last year’s rainy season was a bit hectic for us as the rains began very early and most of us lost our plantations, and this year was better as the rain seems to be steady only for the dam water to dash our hopes by consuming our farmlands. As I speak with you, I cannot access my farm, unless I am to use a canoe. I have lost everything on that farm,” he lamented. 

Another farmer Malam Sagir Gulu revealed that half of his sorghum plantation has been washed away by the water, and he cannot access his farmland now due to the water that has covered everywhere.

“You see that tree there,” he said pointing at vast farmland submerged in water, “that is where my farm begins but as you can see, it is all covered by water, half of the farm has been submerged in water and still the water is flowing, I don’t know if the other part will be affected as well. We are left with no option but to just wait and see, while praying for a miracle to happen,” he added.

Alaramma Mai Besfa Tiga is a renowned Islamic scholar and resident of Tiga village. He told Daily Trust on Sunday that his children’s farms were massively affected by the calamity. 

“We are hoping to get a little out of what is left. As for my eldest son whose farmland occupies a very large area, more than 70 workers work on the farmland, and more than half of it is now washed off and covered by the water,” he said.

Mai Besfa pleaded with the concerned authorities to come to their aid.

Ya’u Sani is also a resident of Tiga and he also lamented the recent misfortune. He said his friends and family’s farms were part of the ones affected by the flood. 

However, he was thankful to God that no life was lost, and prayed to God to compensate them with the best of it.

Another farmer, Hussaini Tiga, also lamented that his farm which was adjacent to the dam was also submerged.

“We lost a lot of money, we were waiting for harvest, not knowing that this misfortune would befall us,” he lamented.

Roads leading from Tiga to Rano, Bebeji washed off

Hussaina Harisu, a resident of Dawakin Dogo in Tiga, said they were seriously affected by the incident as the link road to Rano and other parts of Bebeji has been affected due to the impact of the overflowing water from the dam. She also pleaded with authorities concerned to urgently come to their aid. 

Another resident, Alhassan Hussain, said “the calamity has to do with the blockage of waterways. But one of the waterways was opened when the Kano State governor came three days back, which has resulted in reduction in the volume of water that covered the whole of the area before.”

More farmlands affected in Bebeji, canoe now means of transportation

When Daily Trust on Sunday visited Bebeji Local Government Area, it was observed that most of the farmlands have not only become submerged by the water from the dam but the road linking Tiga town with Rano and Sumaila local government areas has also been damaged. A huge ditch was created on the road by the water, making the road inaccessible to commuters. 

Similarly, some businessmen have established a transportation business using small speed boats to ferry people to neighbouring Burum-Burum town from Tiga.

AFAN begins collation of affected farmlands

The state chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Magaji Rimin Gado, revealed that the association is currently collating information about the affected farmers and their affected farmlands to ascertain the damages done by the dam’s spill.

According to him, it was unfortunate that the dam’s spill had sacked many farmers from their farmland, adding that the association will solicit relevant authority’s support to see how affected farmers will be assisted.

Dam didn’t collapse – Authority

However, the management of Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) has faulted the claim that the dam has collapsed. Addressing newsmen during a site visit to the affected areas, the Managing Director HJRBDA Ma’amun Da’u Aliyu stated that Tiga Dam reservoir has never been in a better condition than now owing to the recently completed rehabilitation works under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING)) Project. 

According to him, the overflowing water was a result of the dam’s spillway which is conventional in the operation of any dam. According to him, the dam has reached a spill level due to the heavy rainfall experienced this year and as such, it spilled to regulate its water content. He said they have been advising communities living close to the river banks to be very vigilante.

Address situation, compensate our people – Lawmakers 

Meanwhile, the Kano State House of Assembly has appealed to the state government to call on HJRBDA and the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, address the spilling away of water from Tiga Dam to curtail the menace of further over flooding as well as avert further damages. 

The member representing Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, who also confirmed the impact on his constituents, promised to raise the issue at the plenary of the House of Representatives for investigation and mitigation of the damage when the House resumes from its recess.