Overflowing El Gedaref river threatens villages

Floods swept through a couple of villages near the Atbara river in El Gedaref in the past few days.

The overflowing rivers of the Upper Atbara-Setit Dam Complex threaten to reach the residential villages and collapse the houses, residents are concerned.

Yesterday Mubarak El Nur, independent member of the National Council of El Fashaga Constituency in the state, told Radio Dabanga that the recent rains “have caused severe damage to houses near the dam, in addition to obstructing movement of people going in and out of the villages”.

El Nur said that the area has not been suitable for housing because river water accumulates here during the rainy season. “The toilets are overflowing in the residential areas near the dam. This may cause serious environmental impacts,” said El Nur.

Houses in river areas in neighbouring states were also swept away by flash floods. This week a commissioner in El Gezira state announced that an estimated 204 houses were completely destroyed, and 433 houses partially destroyed, because of the water flowing from fractures in the canal.

The Upper Atbara-Setit Dam Complex in El Gedaref was inaugurated this year, amid complaints by representatives of the 30,000 families that have been displaced by the project. They spoke of high rates of unemployment and poverty among them because of the government’s non-commitment to compensate the damages to farmlands. The project will ultimately be able to generate 320 megawatts, according to Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.