By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
HYDRO-ELECTRIC Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) is now set to deliver the 620 meters River Akpankiti channelization project being executed as part measures to mitigate the annual flooding of Koton-Karfe community in Kogi State.
HYPPADEC only last month awarded contract for erosion control and channelisation of the river in Koton-Karfe to Atimpsuda Integrated Services at the contract sum of N220m with a delivery period of eight weeks.
Speaking while on project monitoring visit to the site in Koton-Karfe, Engr Abubakar Mohammed Dakingari, Consultant to the commission, said the project had attained 78 per cent completion and would be delivered earlier than the eight-week delivery period.
He said that first phase of the contract was 620meters, both for excavation and desilting, while some specific areas would be Concrete Lining with six meters by I.5 meters high.
Dakingari stressed that the menace of flooding would be a thing of the past in the town if only community members would refrain from dumping refuse in the drains.
He said that in accordance with the Bill of Quantities for the project, the contractor was expected to do concrete lining of about 160 meters over the drain channel.
The channel, he said, would be separated in so many sections in a way that the adjoining structures, culverts and areas prone to heavy erosion, would be concrete lined.
According to the consultant, what all that was expected to be done to control the floods have been done through desilting of the channels and waterways to enable free flow of water from the Akpankiti River into the River Niger.
Dakingari noted that the pace of work was encouraging adding that by attaining 78 per cent in just four out of the eight weeks, the contractor had performed creditably well.
“We want the people to avoid dumping refuse in the channel, because once it is blocked, it will go back to the same problem and our fears is with the people not to turn the channel into a refuse dump”, he said.
The Site Engineer, Engr Ben Ola, said for the constant downpour of rains, which often hamper their operations, the project would have since completed earlier than now.
Alhaji Jimoh Haruna Gabi, Director, Finance and Administration in the Commission, said the project would soon be inaugurated in view of the pace of work and advised the community to avoid dumping of refuse in the drainages.
“This advice became necessary because of the frequency of flooding in this community. Flood is almost inevitable but we can control it to minimise the level of devastations”, he said.
The Kogi state Coordinator of HYPPADEC, Engr Joan Oguche also commended the contractor and urged that they kept to their words in completing the project earlier than schedule in view of the fast approaching rains especially against NiMET prediction for this year.
Chief Umar Adam who spoke on behalf of the community members who trooped out in their numbers was full of gratitude to the Federal Government and management of HYPPADEC for the erosion and flood control project.
Adam said that the Akpankiti River which runs through the town had for long remained a source of sorrow rather than a blessing to the community.
