The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has attributed the collapse of the Alau Dam to weak structures and siltation of the water facility in Borno State.
The excessive waters from the 38-year-old dam, however, submerged over a dozen communities and the business districts of Post Office, Gidan Madara, and the Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM), which remain closed to the public.
Unveiling the cause of the dam’s collapse on Thursday in Maiduguri, the Executive Director of Administration and Finance of the Commission, Garba Iliya, said: “Three dykes of the dam were washed away by the excessive waters that flooded Maiduguri last Monday.”
He lamented that the dykes and other critical structures of the dam have outlived their capacity to contain and retain the excessive waters that broke the dykes.
He explained that the dykes of dams regulate the flow of water to prevent any disaster to people’s lives and property in the country.
Iliya, who also serves as an engineer, noted that even though the dam gate was not affected, a contract has been awarded to replace the dykes and other critical structures of the Alau Dam.
He warned that the dam must be desilted before embarking on the replacement of dykes, including the reinforcement of the main gate.
“This will control the safe release of waters from the dam for various uses, including irrigation in farms in the Lake Chad Basin,” he added, noting that excessive waters from rivers and other water channels flow into the dam.
In completing the dam project, NEDC boss Mohammed Alkali assured that he will collaborate with the Federal Government to provide basic monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Bridge over River Yedzaram, on which the dam was built, is developing significant cracks and is on the verge of collapsing.
Motorists and pedestrians are warned against crossing the bridge until further notice.
Seven other bridges were constructed on the river and the Ngadda tributary in Maiduguri metropolis to mitigate perennial floods into communities.
