THE Government has begun a process of opening up drainage systems in areas affected by floods in Lusaka to reduce water levels that have submerged most households in the capital city.
Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice-President, Guston Sichilima said in Lusaka yesterday that apart from the relocation programme, the Government had started digging temporary drainages to allow stagnant water to flow into the main waterway systems.
Mr Sichilima said when he featured on Radio Phoenix “Face the Media” programme that the Government was doing everything possible to ensure that the affected people live in a safe environment.
He said the Government was determined to provide a safe environment by relocating affected people to higher lands, although some people were reluctant to shift from their flooded houses.
As part of long-term measures, the Government, in conjunction with Lusaka City Council (LCC), would demolish buildings constructed in spaces meant for drainages.
The Government had introduced a master plan to re-plan the capital city and accommodate more waterway systems.
The Government has released K600 billion for all the councils to be used for various development projects, which would include construction of roads and drainages, he said.
Speaking on the same programme Patriotic Front Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda said most structures were built in places reserved for drainages.
He said the issue of drainages needed planning among the Government, local authorities and other stakeholders.
Acting Lusaka Town Clerk, Bonwell Lwanga attributed the continued flooding in the capital city to lack of proper drainages and unplanned settlements, among other factors.
Mr Lwanga said LCC was already in talks with the Government to find a lasting solution to the problem of drainages, and so far the Government had released K9.8 billion for the drainage system in Kanyama Township.
Meanwhile, another rescue team from the Zambia Army has been sent to Mpulungu to join efforts to retrieve seven bodies still trapped under rubble after nine people were killed in a mudslide along the Lake Tanganyika coastline earlier this week.
District Commissioner Willie Simfukwe said in an interview yesterday that the team had landed at Mbala Airport and would join the teams already in Mpulungu.
Regional army and Zambia National Service teams and others from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit were already in Mpulungu for the exercise being hampered by difficulties to access the mudslide site.
“We visited the survivors and assured them of Government’s support, but we have also told them to relocate to safer areas,” he said.
Mr Simfukwe said the victims also received mealie-meal, cooking oil and other necessities.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Poor planning and no foresight…… (Lusaka floods) a recurring annual disaster that has been ignored for years
2011 OUT MMD
Good timing. The government is doing it at the peak of the floods. Such works are supposed to be done towards the rainy season. Now is too late and they should concentrate more on evacuating people that are living in the pool.
This country is a very lucky country and that is the only thing keeping us alive. Otherwise we live like animals, no town planning, no preventive thinking. Look at how congested our roads are and if anyone is doing anything about it.
Poor planning from PF councilors and MP’s. It had to take the central govt to bail out the PF councils and enforce projects that can be done on council level. This just shows PF leadership.
Too little too late imwe ba vice baba vice…. 😮
This is excellent news but see how few the comments are. This is where all the bloggers in the know should be offering advise as to how we can deal with this disaster so that it does not happen again. Flooding in Lusaka did not start with PF led councils Mr Capitalist. I tend to agree with you on some issues but here you are being partisan and bigotted for no good reason. Lusaka floods every El nino period. We have had La nina till now. We need to find permanent solution to this recurring phenomenon. I would suggest that Government and Lusaka City excavate an artificial dam to capture this water now. El nino brings floods now but very hot and dry season later.
THE SAINT
With all due respect sir, I think you missed my point. The fact that flooding is not a new phenomenon should in fact make the issue top priority. The councilors should have shown their leadership abilities by putting in place permanent structures to curb the problem. The other thing is since the councils have historic information that indicates that flooding takes place in certain areas usually at this time of the year, they would have made preparations to curb the problem. This is why I am saying it is poor leadership from the PF because this is were they could have shown their leadership ability. By placing structures to prepare for forecasted floods.
Govt looks at the macro level, councils look at the micro level, they have better capacity to curb the problem.
why do u do some lip service every year?you mean ua hve failed with ur govt to do a proper job?get out of the office if u can’t think anymore!
Mr. Capitalist, I totally support you. This is an important matter and no intelligent chaps are discussing it. Yet when Chiluba reacts to pettiness from PF yaba.. everyone becomes a hero.
The current politics in Zambia can be defined as: A quest to get rib of RB through the use of collective emotional bullying of people with contrary views by making them feel outcast if they don’t support one Michael Sata unreservedly and unquestioningly.
Accordingly, Sata’s pettiness is progressive. Anyone else responding to his attacks is bringing himself to levels of rubbishness. (Kind of makes me think that maybe they are right. Sata is too shallow for ANY politician to compare with)
Why when Sata attacks Chiluba’s morality, it’s ok. Chiluba responds, ati he’s being petty!!! Mundi…