The Kano State Government has confirmed the death of 31 people and destruction of more than 10,000 houses during the recent flood disaster in 15 Local Government Areas of the state.
Alhaji Ali Bashir, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SERERA) disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday.
Bashir said that the cost of the disaster, which wreaked havoc on more than 10,000 houses in the affected areas, was estimated at over N5 billion.
“Thirty one people lost their lives and more than 10,000 houses that are estimated at over N5 billion were affected.
“Most of the affected houses were either totally or partially destroyed,” the Executive Secretary said.
He explained that no fewer than 35,000 farmers were also affected by the disaster in eight local government areas of the state.
According to Bashir, some of the farmlands were submerged by water while others were completely washed away by the flood.
“The farm produce destroyed include maize, cotton, white beans, onion, rice, groundnut, millet and other cash crops,” he said.
Bashir said that 8,000 farmers were affected in Wudil, 6,000 in Warawa, 2,000 in Gaya and 3,000 in Gabasawa among others.
The executive secretary said that the agency was compiling reports from the eight local government areas hit by the disaster to ascertain the value of the 35,000 farmlands destroyed.
He assured that a comprehensive report would be produced for onward submission to the state government for immediate consideration.
He also added that the agency received alert from Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency that 20 local governments of the state would be affected by flooding.
NAN recalls that the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) recently disclosed that its members in Kano state lost over 5, 000 hectares of rice farms to flood in 10 local government areas of the state.
