The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has urged the governments of Adamawa andTaraba States to allocate lands for the setting up of safety camps for anticipated flood victims as part of proactive measures to combat flood occurrence.

The director-general of the agency, Mohammad Sidi, made the call in Bauchi on Wednesday while declaring open a one day consultative forum organised by the agency for stakeholders in disaster management.

Sidi said that the call became necessary considering efforts by the Bauchi State government to provide safe grounds where NEMA had set up camps for communities considered vulnerable to flood disasters.

He said that the camps were expected to serve as models for State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMA and Local Emergency Management Committees to replicate in their areas of jurisdictions.

He warned that there should be no excuse for loss of lives and property in 2013, especially as the Nigerian Metrological Agency, NIMET, had issued earlier warnings on weather conditions.

The DG said more worrisome is the anticipated overflow of rivers, dams, reservoirs and streams where several surrounding communities are at risk of flood devastation.

“It has therefore become necessary that all hands must be on deck for emergency responders here present to share experiences on how to adopt measures and response strategies for the anticipated flood. Several communities in Bauchi State have already been affected,” Sidi noted.

Earlier, the head of operations at the Gombe State operations office of the agency, ApollosJediel, said that the forum was a follow up to an earlier one held in Taraba State.

Jediel said that the participants drawn from various organisations within Bauchi, Gombe and Tarabastates would share experiences acquired during various rescue operations.