By Danjuma Michael, Katsina.

No fewer than two persons were killed and 1,500 homes were submerged in a flood following a downpour on Monday morning in three local government areas of Katsina State. According to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the incidents occurred in Bindawa, Faskari, and Sabuwa council areas of the state.

While 800 houses were reportedly affected in Faskari, Bindawa and Sabuwa had 400 and 300 houses respectively. Spokesperson for the agency, Umar Mohammed, affirmed the death of two persons in Bindawa council area. Mohammed, however, said efforts were being made to assist those affected by the incident. In a related development, the downpour left homes flooded in the state capital and a major road submerged. Most affected areas included the Kofan Kaura Roundabout area, where residents were helpless against floodwater that had infiltrated their houses and shops on the swampy terrain. Though the water level subsided some hours later, some of the residents and shop owners lamented that their homes and valuables were affected. But experts said the incident could have been averted if the house and shop owners didn’t locate the same along waterways. According to them, the affected area is swampy and had been designated for irrigation farming before people bought the plots and built on them. They called on the state government to build big drains in the affected area for flood water to have a free passage and avoid causing damage to private property. Recall that in July 2018, a downpour and attendant flooding left 44 persons dead, 20 others were missing and hundreds of homes submerged in Jibia council area. Governor Aminu Masari, who went to see the extent of damage the next day, shed tears, describing the incident as unprecedented in the state’s history.