By Mayowa Akinade
Over 3,000 hectares of rice plantation involving 5,000 farmers were flooded with several households displaced in Shonga, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State,
Speaking during an on the spot assessment of the affected area, the project Coordinator Kwara Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, KWACReSAL, Alhaji Shamsideen Aregbe, expressed sadness over the flooding.
According to him the project would complement the State Government’s efforts in building a climate resilient society and providing contingency emergency response to victims of disasters, especially environment related ones.
Aregbeb explained that the team will deploy advanced technology, including a drone, to assess the flooded areas and the extent of damage in order to proffer solutions.
The Coordinator assured that the full report of the findings will be made available to the state government as well as the World Bank to create assistance and viable environmental and ecological solutions to the problem.
On his part, the Emir of Shonga, in Edu local government area of the state, Dr. Halliru Yahaya represented by the Nakodi of Shonga, Alhaji Sulaiman Yahya, commended the state government and the Kwara ACReSAL team for their visit to Shonga to assess the impact of the flooding.
Yahya said over 5,000 farmers were estimated to have been affected, with many of them taking loans for their investments in the rice farms.
He appealed to relevant Stakeholders to come to their aid in proffering lasting solutions, with a view to averting any future occurrence.
