Government has declared its readiness to boost food security and flood control through rehabilitation of dams in the country.
It also disclosed plans to deregulate the irrigation system through partial commercialisation of the river basins to enhance economic viability in the country.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, disclosed this, yesterday, during on-the-spot inspection of Tiga Dam, Garun-Mallam Local Council of Kano.
Utsev explained the Federal Government’s commitment to upscale the multiple usage of dams through enhanced irrigation systems to promote all-season farming.
He, however, identified some challenges needing urgent intervention and regretted the activities of farmers, who mostly break unauthorised channels into canals.
The challenges the minister identified include technical defection that requires urgent desilting of the dams to stimulate maximum volume flow.
He equally, Managing Director of Hadejia Jammaare River Basin, Ma’Amun Dau Aliyu, explained that over three million farmers were benefiting from the Tiga Dam, while hundreds of others syphon the water illegally.
