Kashimbilla Multipurpose Dam in Taraba ready for inauguration – FG
NAN-AE-4
Kashimbilla
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Aug. 18, 2017 (NAN) The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, on Friday said the Kashimbilla Multipurpose Dam Project with a reservoir capacity of over 500 million cubic meters (mcm) is ready for inauguration.
Adamu said this in a statement at the ongoing Regular Meeting of the National Council on Water Resources in Akure, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said the water supply scheme located in Takum, Taraba, would guarantee healthy living conditions for the benefitting communities through the supply of water, 40MW of electricity, irrigation, fishery and tourism.
He said the project, which has a 60,000m3/day capacity water treatment plant would supply potable water to Takum town and Jato-Aka town in Taraba and Benue States respectively and their adjoining communities.
He also added that the irrigation scheme of 2,000 hectares of farmland would boost employment generation and food security in line with the Federal Government’s Agricultural Policy thrust.
According to him, one of the major challenges is that many of the states are not keying into the completed dam projects constructed by the Federal Government.
“It is expected that when the Federal Government constructs dams to impound bulk water, the states should key in to construct treatment plants and conveyances pipeline to distribute the water to the end users.’’
He expressed optimism that the council meeting would proffer workable solutions to these problems in order to derive maximum benefits from these projects.
Adamu said within the framework of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, the ministry has intensified efforts at positioning irrigated agriculture to the fore as the fulcrum for sustainable economic growth, poverty alleviation and job creation.
He added that the approved roadmap of the ministry targets improving food production in the country and ensuring food security with the development of additional 500,000 hectares of land under irrigation by the year 2030.
“The first phase of this plan is attainment of 100,000 hectares of land under irrigation by the year 2020.
“Towards meeting this target, plans have been concluded to complete 29Nos viable ongoing irrigation projects as well as bring on board new projects.
“Currently, feasibility studies are ongoing for development of the vast potential available in the Benue River Valley,’’ he said.
The minster added that the overall long term outcome of the studies would be optimisation of the land and water resources potential of the study area with respect to water development for irrigation.
He said the ministry in late 2016 launched the Graduate/Youth Empowerment Scheme, an agricultural scheme for young graduates in line with the set targets for the sector.
He said the scheme, already launched in seven locations include: Kampe Irrigation Project in Kogi, Integrated Farming Project in Ogun; Talata Mafara in Zamfara and Kadawa Integrated Centre in Kano.
Others are, Ogoja Irrigation Scheme in Cross River; Agbala Integrated Farm Project in Imo and Doma Dam Irrigation Project in Nasarawa State.
He said the programme mirrors the Songhai Integrated Farm Model, saying it would be extended to the 109 Senatorial Districts of the country, being piloted by the River Basin Development Authorities.
NAN recalls that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the augmentation of the contract sum for the implementation of the project to the tune of N46.1billion.
He asserted that the Federal Government would complete most of the 116 inherited projects under the ministry in line with the water resources roadmap.
The National Council on Water Resources is the apex policy making body for the water resources sector and it meets at least once in a year to formulate policies, strategies and management principles for the sector.
Members of the council include the Minister of Water Resources and the Commissioners for Water Resources in the 36 states as well as the officer-in-charge of water resources in the Federal Capital Territory.
Others are the Managing Directors of Water Boards and River Basin Development Authorities, the General Managers/Managing Directors of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agencies, Water Regulatory Commissions, as well as relevant stakeholders and development partners. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/AFA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide