Rice farmers across the Middle Rima Valley of Sokoto state have been assured of adequate water release to their crops.
The Managing Director of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, Alhaji Abubakar Mallam, stated this during an emergency meeting with top government officials.
He said the directive for the immediate release of appropriate volumes of water to the farmlands followed a meeting which focused on deploying a sustainable water management plan, especially during the critical pre-inflow season.
The Managing Director of SRRBDA explained that the gesture became necessary following growing concerns over the dwindling water level downstream, threatening thousands of rice farms across parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states.
Head of Goronyo Dam Management, Abdullahi Jafar, clarified that water release had been temporarily halted due to rainfall projections by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
He confirmed that the reservoir currently held sufficient reserves to meet irrigation demands for the dry season.