Dredging Of River Banks: Umutu, Umuaja Communities Raise Alarm As Expert Predicts Earthquake

Umutu and Umuaja communities in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta have called on the state government to come to their aid over the dangerous activities of dredgers in the area.

Speaking yesterday during a visit to, Former Special Assistant (Technical) Delta State Ministry of Water Resources Development Mr. Slyvester Oru, who visited the site of the dredging activities at Umutu and Umuaja, said that the two communities are sitting on time bomb.

He said that the mechanical dredging of the source of any river was delicate and should not to be contemplated by any group or individual because of the after effect on the host community.

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He said that the ongoing mechanical dredging has the capacity of destroying the aesthetic value and the tourism potentials of the twin communities that was been driven by the state government.

He said that the river sources, the Akuku-Agbor Platoon, Idemili, Igbudu-Aka platoons among others formed the recharge basins that receives the rain water into the ground that eventually finds its weakest point of discharge at Umuaja Community, the source of River Ethiope.

According to him, ” The river began as an artisan and a natural spring water coming from a source that flows down the slope as a river to connect with the Atlantic Ocean.

“The water being collected as an underground reservoir on a bedrock of thick layers of clay and stones that cannot allow the water penetrate below it, gave birth to River Ethiope, Ughelli River, Ossisa River and others.

“Now, when the dredgers move to this location which is the source of the river, and as they mine these sands and stones, the base is been washed off.

“If they begin to do dredging there, they will displace the sand formation from the subsurface at very great pressure, this will led to the demolition of the artisan spring and those living in the areas around Umutu and umuaja are sitting on a time bomb.

“This is because the soil that rest on the impervious formation have been sucked away by the dredgers, what we call subsidence will occur as the dredgers suck away the weak sand from beneath the community land formation.

“The community may not realize it now because it will take place gradually, then over a period of time, there will be sudden collapse.

“They don’t do dredging around river sources, if they go down stream, far down about 10 kilometers from the river source, it has no serious consequence as it will open up the water ways and help provide construction materials among others.

“But you don’t impact the source of the river, it is very delicate as the river can shift and you can imagine the disaster if these thing is allowed to go on in both communities.

“My advice is that the dredging work must be stopped immediately. Dredging the source of the river is not acceptable because of the danger it poses to the people and the ecology itself,” Oru said.

Some of the residents who spoke to newsmen also lamented the devastating impact of the dredging on their daily activities while calling on government to come to their aide and stop the dredgers.

According to Mr Johnson ijeh, a resident of Umutu, the activities of the excavators have continued despite attempt made by the communities to stop them.

“This river is everything to us as a community. Borehole water is new to us. We cross this river on a wooden bridge to our farms and this wooden bridge had collapsed but was rebuilt due to the dredging work.

“As you can see, the colour of the river turns blue during and immediately after dredging, besides, the water is a very clean water, such that the community believe that it is better than borehole and the so called ” pure water”.

“And as we speak, we have about five dredging points taking place daily on the Umutu axis alone and if this is allowed to continue, I am afraid the impact would be rather imagined.

“We are calling on Government to come in and stop them now before it would lead into much ecological damage and death.

On her part, Mrs Angela Chukwudi, said she had been in the community for over 12 years doing her business and had witnessed the dredging activity begin six years ago in the community.

She said that the river water is no longer safe for drinking and for washing of clothes due to the dredging activities.

According to her, the river is the main source of water for drinking, cooking and recreational activities for residents of the community.

“As we speak, those who do not have boreholes still drink the water and use it in their homes.

“Besides, because the river turns blue during dredging hours, most people believed that it has contaminated the aquatic lives, therefore, they no longer eat fish killed from the river for fear of contamination and death.

“In fact, we need government to come to this community to provide us with good drinking water, electricity and give us financial support for our business and to engage the youths in other meaningful projects to take them out of the dredging activities,” Chukwudi said.