In order to step up efforts to prevent flooding in Kwara, the Federal Ministry of Environment reports that the second phase of Asa River dredging will start in a few weeks.
This was announced on Tuesday in Ilorin during an inspection visit to the Asa River by Mr. Shehu Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The state government had promised the ministry that residents near the river would be watched and prevented from disposing of trash in the waterway.
After the evacuation, desilting, and dredging of the river, people were still dumping refuse in the river.
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“This is something we need to do with the state government in order to stop the act of dumping refuse in the river and to achieve our goal,” he said.
He also said that the second phase of the project would provide preventive measures that would constrain the people from dumping refuse in the river.
Also, Mr Bello El-Rufai, Contractor handling the project, said that the project had reduced flooding in the state to the barest minimum.
According to El-Rufai, in the year 2022, no case of the flood was reported around the communities where the project was being executed.
The contractor said, their work was delayed due to rainfall that disrupted the construction work from August to December.
“The time given for the project was 18 months, but it has been extended by three months to enable us to finish our work,” El-Rufai said.
Story adapted from VON
