Met issues flood alert around Ndakaini Dam

The weatherman has urged Murang’a residents who live on the lower sides of Ndakaini Dam to be wary of possible floods.

The Meteorological department says the dam may spill over in the next five days to stretch the already flooded Rivers Chania and Thika.  

According to the data from the Meteorological department, the dam, which is 85.39 per cent full, has been filling at a rate of 3 per cent daily.

It was 82.56 and 79.03 full on Friday and Thursday respectively. 

FULL

The County Director for Meteorological Services Paul Murage says the dam, which can only hold 70 million cubic meters of water when full to its capacity, is now at 59.773 million cubic meters with only 11 million cubic meters left. Mr Murage said private dams in Murang’a are almost full.

He said that Ndakaini Dam, which deposits its spillage to Rivers Chania and Thika which have broken their banks, may cause disaster and possible loss of lives.

“Given the rate of increase of water at the dam, stakeholders need to be pro-active to avert the looming danger,” he said.

Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria said a team of experts have been deployed to monitor the situation and advise on the way forward.  

He called on the National Disaster management team to join hands and compliment the county’s efforts in assessing the situation.  

DISASTER

 “The National Disaster team should join hands with the county team to assess the situation for possible disaster and come up with ways of averting tragedy,” he said.

The governor said the disaster committee will conduct risk management in 30 dams in the county.

“The County Disaster team led by County Commander Josephat Kinyua is carrying out a risk assessment to all the dams including private and ones since we have received reports that some of them are full to capacity,” said Mr Wa Iria.

“We shall inspect all dams to know whether they meet the set standards,” the governor told journalists after inspecting Gatoka Flowers Dam in Gatanga on Saturday.