DoDMA reducing risks of floods by dredging flood-prone rivers in Nsanje

The dredging exercise underway in the Lower Shire

*Also building shelters for displaced people to reduce the over-dependence of school structures during disasters

* Wants to ensure that the impact of disasters is minimized and that all response structures are well in place

By Watson Maingo, MANA

In an effort to reduce risk of floods, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) is dredging some rivers in flood-prone Nsanje District.

DoDMA is also building shelters for displaced people to reduce the over-dependence of school structures during disasters and when he toured the implementation of the activities, commissioner for disaster, Charles Kalemba said they want to ensure that the impact of disasters is minimized and that all response structures are well in place.

“Floods in Lower Shire are mainly aggravated by siltation and debris in the rivers such that even small amounts of rainfall result in flooding — thus river dredging and training will greatly reduce flood risks.”

Kalemba further said apart from river dredging, DoDMA — with funds from the post-Cyclone Idai emergency recovery project — is constructing an emergency operation centre in Chikwawa District, and an evacuation centre at Mchacha James Village in T/A Mlolo’s area.

“The emergency operation centre will be the place where all operations will be coordinated from to ensure that things are done timely,” he said.

On the evacuation centre, Kalemba said it was the wish of DoDMA that disaster victims should not be occupying school classrooms when they are displaced as the trend affects provision of education.

“It is our desire that we reach a point where we have enough evacuation centres. For a long time, we have been using classrooms to host displaced people, but in turn we deny the learners freedom to education and this affect them negatively to prepare for national examination.”

PRO for DoDMA, Chipiliro Khamula said as part of preparedness they have also developed the National Multi-Hazard contingency plan in readiness for the season — to guide the response interventions for any type of disaster the country experiences.

Khamula also said with financial and technical support from the World Food Program (WFP), DoDMA has established a humanitarian staging area (HAS) at Bangula in Nsanje, which will be used to fast track coordination and response in the Lower Shire.

He further said in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change and Metrological Services, they are also conducting awareness and sensitization campaigns on prospects and implications of the 2022/2023 downscaled seasonal forecast targeting Councils in disaster prone areas.

Disaster risk desk officer for Nsanje District Council, Patrick Sipuni said the flood mitigation and preparedness interventions have come at a right time, saying most rivers changed their courses following floods due to Cyclones Ana and Gombe

“This dredging exercise will go a long way in reducing the flood risk,”Sipuni said, adding that the Council will take advantage of the Climate Smart Public Works program, which is currently under way in the district to plant trees and other natural vegetation along the river banks to strengthen them.