The Commissioner for Environment and Solid Mineral Development,  Abdullahi Abbas, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Wednesday.

NEWMAP is an initiative of the Federal Government and  funded by the World Bank. States in which NEWMAP is executing projects are expected to contribute counterpart funds.

Abbas explained that NEWMAP would reclaim the gully sites by using the GRASS approach (Gully Rapid Action Step and Slop Stabilization).

According to him, this is a form of bio-remediation.

He said that sites identified for intervention were located in the northern, southern and central parts of the state.

The commissioner said that the reclamation of the gully sites in the state would  provide land mass for the people.

He said that it would also put an end to the health threat posed by the gully sites due to the mining residues left in such sites.

Abbas said that such residues which washed into water bodies used for irrigation farming were detrimental to human health if ingested.

He added that the state had a Plateau Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project.

Abbas said  the agency was saddled with the responsibility of providing  damage control to slow down expansion of targeted set of gullies thereby reducing  infrastructure damage.