Monday 13 December 2010

RESIDENTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS URGED TO EVACUATE


The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has called on Lusaka residents living in flood prone areas such as Misisi, Chawama and Kuku compounds to consider evacuating to safe places before the rains become tense.
DMMU National Coordinator Domiciano Mulenga said although mitigation measures have been put in place by his office, people should not feel comfortable to live in such places as they cannot fully determine the amount of rainfall expected this rainy season.
Mr. Mulenga said DMMU and other stakeholders such as political players have played their role in disaster mitigation and called on people to heed to their advice of evacuating to places that are not prone to floods.
He explained that government has inadequate resources to embark on a repatriation exercise hence the need for residents to help government by moving to safer places before the rains become torrential.
Mr. Mulenga told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that government is aware that most houses in flood prone areas are rented houses adding that people can rent elsewhere than sticking in the same places.
Mr. Mulenga has meanwhile thanked the Road Development Agency (RDA), Rural Road Unit (RRU) the Zambia Army and the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company among other stakeholders for their corporation and support to calamities.
He said it is only through concerted efforts by various players that issues to do with calamities can be won in the country.
Last week the DMMU disclosed that they have put in place various mitigation measures to curb floods not only in Lusaka but the country as a whole.
Last year government evacuated about 177 flood affected families to the independence stadium following torrential rains that hit the country.
ZANIS

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