Erosion

By Anwar Usman

Bulbula-Gayawa, a once-thriving community in Kano, has been ravaged by the devastating effects of gully erosion. The erosion has not only claimed lives but has inflicted untold hardships, from the tragic loss of farmlands to the dangers faced by children in the neighbourhood. 

Gully erosion is a lingering problem caused by inadequate drainage systems, poorly managed waterways, and irresponsible sand excavation. As a result, people from the same area have been separated, creating a physical barrier within a single community.

Residents lament the erosion’s crippling impact on their lives, posing environmental challenges. The Daily Reality gathered that the erosion claimed the lives of nine young children in a single day a few years ago while coming back from school following heavy downpours.

Three local governments, including Ungoggo, Nassarawa, and some parts of Fagge, have been affected by the erosion.

Muaz Abubakar, a resident of the area, explains that “the erosion started a long time ago. We are doing our best to protect ourselves from this danger. Due to inappropriate waterways, rainfall washes away whatever we build to prevent direct access to the eroded site.

“Thousands of houses are at risk, and as a result, the site has been turned into a refuse dumping site and an avenue for smoking and other criminal activities”.

The Daily Reality contacted Mr Abduljabbar Abdussalam, an advocate of climate change and natural resources management, about the challenges and causes of gully erosion. He responded, “It was due to inadequate waterways and enough trees that can contain and consume the amount of water passing through the eroded drainage.”

He explains that trees slow water flow and absorb large amounts of it, helping to prevent flooding. However, because of poor waterways, residents are directing water pipes to the eroded site, causing flooding. Additionally, they’ve made the area a dumping ground, redirecting heavy water and worsening the situation.

“People in this environment are in grave danger; there’s the need for a call to action. To prevent themselves and safeguard their younger ones, there’s the need for the government to come to their aid by constructing drainages that can contain vast amounts of water.

The Ministry of Environment has made clear that the Kano state government intends to tackle the serious challenges facing the eroded environment.

During a visit to the site, the Kano State governor revealed that the work to address the damage would be done through the Agro-climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), which the Kano State Ministry of Environment supervises. The ministry partners strategically with the World Bank and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

Residents of Rigasa, a major support base of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have cried out over the gully threatening to swallow up the community. The gully had swept away many houses in its paths, rendering many residents homeless.

The Daily Reality observed that areas badly affected by the erosion include Layin Cinema, Unguwar Yan Kilishi, Makera, Tarotaro and Madaki Habu Street. With heavy rainfall, the branches of the erosion are spreading fast as a vast expanse of land is caving in, threatening more houses.

The Secretary-General of Rigasa Development Forum, Mr Sani Ibrahim, who spoke on behalf of the affected communities, pleaded that concerned authorities should come and end the innumerable damages the gullies had done to them.

He said the gully had already cut them off from accessing each other and some other parts of Rigasa town. Another resident, Mr Umar Ahmad, said, “We no longer send our children on errands anymore, and worst still, the people in government, who came to canvass for votes, have abandoned us”.

Findings by The Daily Reality showed that the gully has cut off many routes making life unbearable for the hundreds of residents. A signpost in one of the areas has indicated that the Federal Ministry of Environment had previously awarded the contract in the past. The community is on the edge of the precipice and may be cut off from other communities if nothing is done urgently.