By Adamu Muhammad Gabi, ANIPR
Community members in Gwaram Ta Kari have been living in constant fear of losing their lives, farmlands, and dwellings to the devastating effects of flooding that annually sweeps through the area.
Gwaram Ta Kari is an agrarian rural community in the Hardawa District of Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State, and rich in the production of grains and legumes.
A resident of the village, Engr. Sulaiman Ibrahim raised this concern in an interview with our reporter on the recent devastating flood following torrential rainfall in the area.
He said people from the community always lived in fear and sleep with their two eyes open during the rainy season on the possibility of either recording the loss of lives and properties or resulting in damaged farmlands owing to the riverine nature of the area.
Eng. Ibrahim noted that the story was not different from previous years following the heavy downpour, which increased the level of water capacity on the river bank linking to Yayu in Katagum LGA and beyond with the popular Maladumba Lake where fishing activities are common.
A displaced person affected by the recent incident from Rigar Dan Fada who spoke on condition of anonymity, shared his ordeal on how the effect of the flooding had subjected them to untold hardship, making life miserable for both the breadwinners and their families, calling on the relevant authorities to come to their aid and give them a sense of belonging.
Some of the areas worst affected by the natural disaster which left many people homeless from across the two LGAs of Misau and Katagum closely connected by the river, were: Rigar Danfada, Rigar Tanka, Nannafau, Rigar Danzangi, and Rigar Malam Ali.
Meanwhile, the Gwaram Ta Kari community also suffers from gully erosion and a poor drainage system with a lack of access roads connecting the village to neighbouring major towns for enhanced socio-economic development.
However, the recent 18.88 km road project by the Bauchi State government, which commenced on August 21, 2024, following a prolonged public outcry by the Gwarmawa, the community, along with its adjoining villages, is hoped to finally find a solution to the access road problem.