CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU: Incessant rains recently received in Gweru have exposed poor workmanship by City of Gweru authorities and some land developers, resulting in flash floods affecting residential areas.
Residents of Gweru’s western suburbs are counting losses as a result of the flash floods, and responsible authorities have proved to have failed to come up with proper solutions to the perennial challenge.
Some have had to seek shelter at churches after their houses were submerged in water.
“I had to ferry my children to the local church for shelter as the situation became unbearable. The rains are really making it difficult for us to make ends meet. All our furniture was soaked in water and this problem is continuing to cause problems for us. We just wish that the city fathers will come up with a lasting solution to our problems,” one resident said.
“We are only grateful that no one has lost their lives due to these floods as yet. We are making a plea to the city council to divert the water and dig trenches to ensure that we are safe. This is an annual thing and we need it to be solved like yesterday,” added another resident.
Last year, noticing that the council is folding their hands towards drain clearance, Gweru’s Northlea residents took the task upon themselves to clear drainage and as a result, no flooding cases have been experienced in the area this year.
The government says it is coming up with a plan to ensure that affected people are compensated.
“We came here to see for ourselves the plight of our people. We have a functional central protection unit and we believe these people deserve some solace from their misery.
“It’s pathetic that we have to face the same problems over and over again without a reasonable solution in sight. We are going to engage the responsible authorities to ensure we get the intended answers,” said Midlands Provincial Development Coordinator, Abiot Maronge.
The government has challenged some land developers and local authorities to rectify the challenges of water drainage systems, while residents occupying wetlands have been advised to vacate such places.
Meanwhile, of Gweru’s land developers, only River Valley Properties has been on the ground assisting those affected with floods and further clearing drainage. The company has also managed to investigate causation to the floods which indicated that the challenge was a result of human error that could have been avoided considering that the developer had cleared drainage prior to the rainy season.
