From Joseph Asegba, Yola
Barely two days ago, the Federal Government warned Nigerians about the release of water from Cameroon Lagdo.
The Federal Government made the warning in a press statement signed by the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Umar Muhammed, on Tuesday.
According to the statement, which noted that the authorities of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon will initiate controlled water releases starting on Tuesday, 17 September 2024.
It said the water discharge is anticipated on the 18th of September to progressively escalate to 1000m³/s over the next seven days based on the inflow from the upstream Garoua River.
“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency wishes to notify the general public that the authorities of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon have communicated to the agency that they will initiate controlled water releases at a rate of 100m³/s (8,640,000m³/day) starting today, 17 September 2024.
“The water discharge is anticipated to progressively escalate to 1000m³/s over the next seven days based on the inflow from the upstream through Garoua River, which serves as the primary source into the reservoir and a significant tributary to the Benue River,” further stated.
However, the dam operators have indicated that the planned water discharges will be gradual to avoid surpassing the conveyance capacity of the Benue River system and triggering substantial flooding downstream in Nigeria.
The statement further reads, “The overflow from the Lagdo Dam is projected to cease once there is a noticeable reduction in the flow into the Lagdo reservoir.”
In an interview with an expert who always monitored the Lagdo dam water floor (fisherman), Augustine Habu said there could be a lack of rain in Lagdo and other tributaries if not, they anticipated the water from Lagdo dam long ago the break in the rainfall that delayed the water.
Habu noted that this year, the water floor from Lagdo is likely to overflow because there are so many tributaries along the way, so as it flows, some divert to branches until all the gaps are filled before overflowing to Nigeria.
However, outside the Lagdo dam, there are other smaller sources or tributaries like rivers Lere, Garoua bindi, Jin, Paru, Bilachi and Kilange. With contributions of these branches definitely, it will overflow and cause damages to Nigeria, Augustine Habu said.