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Nigeria: FG Disburses N1bn for Evacuating Typha Grass in Wetland Areas
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Daily Trust (Abuja)
18 March 2008
Posted to the web 18 March 2008
Ahmed Abubakar
Dutse
About one Billion Naira has been earmarked by the Federal Government for the dredging and removal of Typha grass that has taken over the wetlands around the Hadejia River that passed through Jigawa, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi and Plateau states.
Already excavation work has begun in earnest at the Wacakal river site where two firms, Sani Kwangila Yakasai (SKY) and Ambinse were contracted to evacuate all the grass popularly known as "Kachalla".
The State Commissioner for Environment Barrister Yusuf Mato said the contract was awarded by the Federal Government from the ecological fund with a view to clear about 56 kilometres of typha grass infested river.
Mato stated that the contract which was being awarded through the Hadejia Jama'are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), is expected to be done in two phases while the first phase would be carried out at the cost of N250 million and the second phase is expected to gulp N650 million respectively.
Daily Trust correspondent who was at the site of the work observed that Ambinse Construction Company has already mobilised to site and the first phase which is from part of Yobe state to Jigawa has commenced.
However it was observed that the SKY construction firm is yet to mobilise its equipment to site instead engaged the services of the local residents to use their bare hands in uprooting the typha grass even as the commissioner has threatened to take legal action against the company.
"We are not going to fold our arms and allow such irresponsibility of employing crude means of removing the "Kachalla" despite the huge resources involved, to continue by the company and I assure you this would be reported to the governor by tomorrow".
The commissioner declared that the grass has been a major source of worry to all the towns and villages along the river banks who solely depend on either fishing or irrigation farming.
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The grass which stretched across thousands of kilometres all over the river banks has over the years caused the wetland residents untold hardship even as it has become virtually impossible to either farm on the very fertile lands while fishermen in the area have to migrate to as far as the river Niger to conduct their fishing activity.
It would be recalled that several attempts have been made through calls by international organisations, journalists, legislators and other stakeholders on respective governments to intervene and address the age long disaster in the wetland areas.
Meanwhile the Kainuwa pond with about two hundred meters deep and several meters wide that has been a great source of threat to the Hadejia residents and the Emir's palace has also been filled up by the state government at the cost of about N20 million.
Don't just evacuate it. Put it to use. This problematic weed is an excellent source of biomass. If the water and soil it is grown in is clean, it is also an excellent source of food. It is wonderful to see that Africa is starting to wake up to this problem. This weed is causing trouble in almost every country in Africa, when it could be a major resource. Clearing Typha will also help you control malaria and many other problems. But it will be easier to finance and sustain if you take the... [Read Full Text]
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