The Nasarawa State government has warned that it would bring down illegal structures built on waterways in the ongoing move to curtail flooding.
The commissioner for environment and natural resources , Mr Yakubu Kwanta, disclosed this to journalists after the monthly sanitation exercise in Lafia yesterday.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) recently predicted flooding in 25 states including Nasarawa.
Represented by Malam Abubakar Mohammed, the chief environment officer who is also the chief prosecutor of the ministry, Kwanta said the state government had since put flood-prone local government areas of the state on alert, and directed residents of riverine areas to move to safer grounds.
He said part of the measures the state government adopted was to ensure that there are no obstructions to free flow of water.
To this end, he said buildings on waterways will be cleared to give floods free access and avert possible disaster as experienced in the past.
No fewer than 400,000 persons were displaced by flood across 11 out of the 13 local government areas of state last year.
The affected local government areas include Awe, Toto, Keana, Doma, Nassarawa Keffi, Nasarawa Eggon, Obi, Lafia, Wamba and Karu.
“When you block the waterways and prevent water from free flow, you are inviting disaster, because any how it will find its way to pass,” Mr Kwanta stated.
He also said the monthly environment sanitation exercise had greatly assisted in clearing wastes on waterways.
He applauded the traditional rulers, chairmen of area councils as well as security agencies for the success of the monthly exercise.
The commissioner called on members of the public to always keep their environments clean to guard against outbreak of diseases, while also urging them to desist from dumping refuse on waterways.
