Thousands of people in the flood- prone Kano plains are going to be the main beneficiaries of a major government initiative for flood mitigation that will put an end to years of destruction by floods from River Nyando and backflows from Lake Victoria.
National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority (NWHSA) has taken the lead in this intervention that’s operating through the West KanoKanyagwal Flood Control Project located in Kadibo Sub, county, Kisumu County.
Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, states that the flood project is a big change in solving the problem of flooding that has forced people to move out of their houses, destroyed farms and generally disrupted lives in this region for many years.
“Flooding has always been a big problem in the Kano plains wherever the River Nyando overflowed its banks or when backflows from Lake Victoria went up to the villages farms schools and livelihoods. These sad songs are now changing into songs of hope because the Government is building flood control infrastructures that will eventually bring dignity, productivity and stability to the region, ” explained Dr. Omollo.
This project is making it possible for almost 7, 000 hectares of flood, ravaged lands to be reclaimed through the building of a 3. 5-kilometre flood protection dyke and the revamping of essential drainage networks.
Environmentally friendly measures aim at making the area capable of handling climate change challenges through extensive grass planting and tree, growing work have been started as well as the enhancement of very powerful pumping systems.
To allow people to move from one place to another safely during times of heavy rains and floods, a community footbridge has been built.
Through this flood control 2 ,230, acre West Kano Irrigation Scheme is well, secured. In this way, the project is helping to save the livelihoods of 1, 000 farmers whose crops have been destroyed time after time and their farming productivity has been negatively affected.