Lusaka mayor explains flooding in the city

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 11:32:21 +0000

By KALOBWE BWALYA

THE perennial floods that Lusaka city has been experiencing over the years have been exacerbated by either poorly maintained drainage infrastructure or none existent of the facility especially in places that started as informal settlements, says Lusaka mayor Wilson Kalumba has charged.

Mr Kalumba said the floods had had affected some parts of the Central Business District including Kabwata, Kanyama, Munali, Chawama Constituencies and other isolated places.

“It is important to appreciate the fact that Lusaka city is situated on a flat plateau with mild slopes as low as 0.2percent and consequently, most areas of the city experience extensive flooding during the rainy season,

“Besides the low topography Lusaka also has a very high water table in certain areas and this is determined by the geology of the city which is constituted by highly impermeable limestone which gets quickly saturated by water during the rainy season,” said the Mayor

Mr Kalumba said CBD which had underground drainage system no longer had the capacity to operate efficiently and effectively due to the increase in infrastructure development and indiscriminate disposal of waste.

He said Meteorological department had adequately advised that this year the country was likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall for most of the period from October to December 2016 and January to March 2017.

Mr Kalumba said in trying to mitigate the expected impacts of this heavy rainfall, the council had moved in and started working on the most flood prone areas.

The council has since bought a K1 million second pressure Jet to help with the underground drains in CBD.

He also said the council through its roads and drainage section under the department of engineering services had started working on opening up some drains within Kabwata constituency.

“Road works and drain openings are also being done in Kanyama constituency through the assistance of ZNS equipment and some drainage works are also underway in Chawama Constituency through the performance contractor, as while as plans are underway to mobilize into Munali Constituency starting with Kaunda Square and Mtendere,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Kalumba had disclosed that the council had further engaged the  Road Development Agency (RDA) to ensure that the contractor working on the L400 roads moved on site to work on the side drains on the newly paved roads which had resulted into floods with the first rains.

Mr Kalumba said the contractor (Avic International) had since mobilized and was currently working along Dr. Aggrey Road in Kabwata.

He explained that works on the Bombay and Mazyopa drainage system which was being implemented through the Millennium Challenge Account had continued smoothly and once fully completed would greatly reduce the floods in Lusaka.

Mr Kalumba urged residents to take good care of the drains that had been constructed or being constructed and avoid indiscriminate dumping of waste.