A popular construction company based in Kano Construcshop Global Company has described the Poor urban planning, urban implosion, climate change, landfills of water bodies that act as collectors of rainwater as main factors leading to incessant flooding in Kano.
Chief Executive Officer of Construcshop Global Company Arc. Khalifa Rabiu Tahir, stated this during an interview with newsmen on the recent flooding that occurred in Kano, Jigawa, and some parts of northern Nigeria.
Khalifa Rabi’u Tahir, who is also an environmental activist and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, said It is quite an unfortunate incident that has resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of properties, most of which could have been avoided.
“We all believe in acts of God. Also, global warming for example is a global phenomenon so the Kano state Government can’t be fully blamed for the floods”, he said.
He added that the sale and subsequent filling up of lakes like the Dan Agundi water ways and many more shows the negligence of Kano state government in urban planning.
He corroborated that these lakes act as reservoirs for the surplus waters from rainfall which provide much-needed relief from intense heat and act as a consistent supply for underground lakes, and also aid in erosion control.
Khalifa Rabiu says that this indication shows that in the coming years cities like Kano, Jigawa, Lokoja, and the northern part of the region will experience the worst flooding.
“Because the cities are only getting more crowded, the space that is supposed to be for the water to runoff is being eaten up by more buildings and our drainages don’t link to anywhere, so there is no proper central sewage system in place.
“For example, imagine that you have a plate on a table that can contain exactly one cup of water. When You fill the plate with sand and then pour the same cup of water into the plate, won’t most of the water flow unto the table? This is exactly the case with the backfilled lakes,” the environmental activist said.”
Khalifa further stated that, despite the fact that the flooding never affected anyone from his family, it doesn’t stop him from being a concerned citizen, adding that it is imperative that the advisers to the Kano state Government must advise for the betterment of the city.
He also said that “sites that the flooding affected has impacted greatly on lives and properties not to talk of the economic impact which is going to be brutal.”
“Some families have lost their homes, some have lost their breadwinners, and some people have lost their hard-earned livelihoods overnight. Do you know what happens to an honest man when he loses all hope? These people may turn to criminal acts to ease their hardships, May God never put us in such a situation,” he explained.
When asked whether there could have been less flooding or if it could have been completely prevented, Arc. Khalifa Rabiu answered in the affirmative detailing that If there was a less congested city, with proper drainage systems, natural reservoirs, afforestation, the effect could be minimized.
Arc. Khalifa Rabiu also advised the stakeholders of the affected states to put together a committee of advisors on issues concerning climate change, sustainability, environment, and environmental protection to ensure that certain decisions taken are not at the detriment of the State.
