The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, has urged states along the Benue River to increase their vigilance, DAILY POST reports.
The call is coming following the ongoing plan by the management of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon to open the dam for water to gush out.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday by the NIHSA, signed by the Director General and the Chief Executive Officer, Umar Ibrahim Mohamed, he said the states likely to be affected by the flow of water from the dam are: Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
The agency also called on governments at all levels to implement adequate preparedness measures to mitigate potential flooding that may result from rising river levels during this period.
The release of water, the statement said, will begin at a rate of 100 cubic meters per second (8.64 million cubic meters per day) and is expected to gradually increase to 1,000 cubic meters per second over the next seven days, depending on inflows from the upstream Garoua River, the primary feeder of the reservoir and a significant contributor to the Benue River.
“The Cameroonian dam authorities assured NIHSA that the water releases will be regulated to avoid exceeding the capacity of the Benue River and triggering major flooding downstream in Nigeria.
“The statement explained that the controlled water releases will stop once the inflow into the Lagdo reservoir significantly decreases.
NIHSA emphasized that there is no immediate cause for concern, as significant flooding downstream in Nigeria is not expected. They added that current water levels along the Benue River remain within safe limits.
The agency also assured the public that it would continue to closely monitor water levels along the Benue and other national inland rivers, providing regular updates to prevent any flood-related disasters.
