Residents of Anguwan Sarakuna and Magaji quarters areas of Bauchi metropolis have begged Bauchi Local Government Council to construct drainages to tackle incidents of the flood that are ravaging the area every rainy season.
North East Trust gathered that residents of the two communities, who are located at the outskirts of Bauchi metropolis suffer flood almost every rainy season due to lack of drainages and dilapidated roads made worse by the sloppy nature of the area.
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A resident of Anguwan Sarakuna, Rilwanu Ubale, said that for the past three years, water had been flooding his house and destroying his properties.
“If heavy rainfalls while I am away in my working place, I have to wait between one to two hours after the water has stopped before I could enter my house. If I am at home and the rain falls I must wait for the water to pass before I leave.
“Every rainy season commercial motorcycles and tricycles operators charge exorbitant fees to carry passengers into Anguwan Sarakuna because of the bad roads associated with the quantum of water that swarms different locations for lack drainage.
“The situation is worrisome and we have made efforts among residents by contributing money and partaking in digging culverts for the waterways but the work is beyond our ability. The privileged members of the community are not helping the situation because they constructed drainages only around their houses, which is worsening the situation.”
Another resident, Malam Usman Muhammed, said that residents were living in fear of flood every rainy season because there were no drainages for the water to pass.
“We are worried about the bad roads but what is really disturbing our community is how the water is flooding our houses due to lack of drainages. Evey rainy season water swarms the area, enters our houses and destroys people’s properties. We have made efforts to create a passage for the water to mitigate cases of flooding houses but our efforts did not solve the problems.
“The only bridge that links Magaji quarters and Anguwan Sarakuna is being threatened by erosion because part of the bridge has been washed away by water recently.
“We are appealing to both state and local governments to intervene and alleviate the untold hardship we are facing so that people can sleep with their two eyes closed,” Muhammed said
A resident of Magaji Quarters, Umar Usman, said that lack of drainages had plunged the people in difficult situation during rainy season, “Water enters our houses and destroys our properties for lack of drainages within and around the area. Both previous and current administrations had pledged to construct roads to alleviate the suffering of the people but up till now there is no tangible efforts to tackle the problem. We are appealing to the current administration to help us fulfill its promise to construct the roads and drainages.”
Ward Head of Anguwan Sarakuna, Malam Aliyu Nuru, said that residents battle with cases of flash flood as a result of absence of drainages.
Nuru said, “Water floods houses and destroys properties. In the past we pleaded with the government and Alhamdulillah they responded and filled the potholes created by erosion along the roads. We intend to forward our complaint to the local government to come to our aid by constructing drainages in the area. We are still appealing to both state and local governments to assist the community with culverts.”
All efforts made to get the reactions of the Chairman, Bauchi Local Government Council, Alhaji Danladi Abdullahi Danbaba, were not successful as he did not pick several phone calls or respond to text messages sent to him at the time of filing this report.
