Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa has warned residents living along the River Tana, particularly in Tana River and Garissa counties, to prepare to move to higher ground as heavy rains are expected across the country.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, September 15, Mugaa said the anticipated rainfall associated with El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole could push dams to their storage limits.

Mugaa said the Seven Forks dams, Masinga, Kaburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma and Kiambere, on Tana River are expected to spill if the rainfall arrives at the projected levels.

He cautioned that communities, homes, livestock and livelihoods located along vulnerable sections of the river could be affected by the increased water volumes.

📌 What You Need to Know

He explained that dams are designed to withstand major flood events of a return rate of between 25 to 100 years and are fitted with spillways that safely release excess water once storage capacity is reached.

However, he said simultaneous releases from dams along the river system could increase the volume of water flowing downstream and raise the risk of flooding in areas where river channels become flatter.

“The challenge we risk is that when our dams become full and water starts passing through the spillways, particularly where dams are arranged in series with one downstream of another, all that water eventually returns to the river course. We therefore risk flooding downstream, especially in areas where the terrain becomes flatter as the river reaches its mature stage. Flooding occurs when the river channel is too small to accommodate the volume of water released when the dams reach capacity,” he noted.

The CS said the government was therefore urging residents in flood-prone areas to take precautionary measures and relocate to safer ground where necessary.

He identified increasing national water-storage capacity as a long-term measure needed to manage excess rainfall while also strengthening the country’s ability to store water for periods of scarcity.

Mugaa said the government was eyeing the National Infrastructure Fund to secure resources for expanding storage capacity, noting that constructing a single mega dam could cost between Ksh20 billion and Ksh40 billion.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke