Residents of Bondon Ward in Kaura Local Government Area have begun a community-driven project to build a double-cell ring culvert on a key road linking about 10 neighbouring communities.
The District Head of Bondon in the Moro’a Chiefdom, Mr Jonathan Mamam, disclosed this during a telephone interview on Wednesday.
Mamam explained that the affected road, which provides access to Government Secondary School Bondon, also connects several communities including Unguwan Sankwai, Motuak, Hayin Gora, Tsunbwanu and Rafin Gora.
He said work on the project started on Monday after years of seasonal flooding made the route difficult to use during heavy rains.
According to him, the absence of a culvert has allowed rainwater to overflow the road corridor every year, leaving residents stranded and disrupting movement between the communities.
“In many cases, residents are forced to wait until the floodwater reduces before crossing to the other side.
“Sometimes the wait can last for hours or even days, depending on the volume of water,” he said.
Mamam explained that the project involves constructing a double-cell ring culvert, a drainage structure that allows water to flow beneath a road through two parallel concrete pipe rings.
He said the construction would require 16 pre-cast reinforced concrete rings costing about N20,000 each including transportation, 30 bags of cement and wooden planks worth N50,000.
According to him, the community has already purchased eight of the rings, though one was damaged during offloading, leaving nine more to be acquired.
He added that residents have also procured 25 bags of cement through contributions and donations from members of the community, including support from the Chief of Moro’a, Isiaku Tagwai-Sambo, and Mrs Ladi Bantex.
Mamam noted that additional materials such as red sand to raise the road level and stones to reinforce the culvert against floodwater were still needed.
He said local professionals from the affected communities volunteered their services, with an engineer supervising the work and a carpenter assisting without payment.
Residents are also contributing labour by working in shifts at the construction site to minimise costs.
Mamam said the decision to embark on the project was driven by the community’s determination to address its own development challenges.
He explained that community-led initiatives had long been part of local tradition and that leaders were committed to sustaining that spirit of collective responsibility.
The district head appealed to sons and daughters of the community, the local government council and other well-meaning individuals to support the effort so the project could be completed before the rainy season begins.
Mr Ashinge Bondon, National Public Relations Officer of the Moro’a Development Association Youth Wing, described the initiative as vital to the welfare of residents.
He said the road becomes nearly impassable whenever heavy rain falls, creating serious difficulties for the communities that depend on it.
Bondon recalled that a culvert had been constructed at the location about five years ago with assistance from Mr Kalat Shemang, an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the area.
However, he noted that the structure was eventually washed away by recurring floods.
He said the current effort aims to complete a more durable structure before the onset of the next rainy season so residents can move freely without disruption.
He added that although community members were contributing what they could, additional financial assistance from the public would help ensure the project’s completion.
Other leaders supporting the initiative include the Chairman of the Bondon Branch of the Moro’a Development Association, Mr Monday Shemang, and the Councillor representing Bondon Ward in the Kaura Local Government Council, Seth Ayuba.