The ManicaPost
Post Reporter
THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and City of Mutare have joined forces to come up with measures aimed at preventing flash floods from occurring in residential areas.
EMA Manicaland provincial manager, Mr Kingstone Chitotombe, said they were working with the local authority to clear drainage systems and urged people to follow proper disposal of garbage to avoid blockages.
He also warned residents against carrying out stream-bank cultivation and urban farming activities on steep slopes which lead to flooding incidents and trigger disaster during the rainy season.
“Clearing storm water drains and keeping them clean is important in preventing flooding and we are working on that with City of Mutare. Residents also have to be responsible with their urban agriculture by avoiding stream-bank cultivation and following the recommended guidelines on where to and not to carry out their activities such as on sloppy terrains and close to the roads. This reduces water runoffs that may end up in flash
floods,” he said.
Council spokesperson, Mr Spren Mutiwi, said the public must obey by-laws that govern urban farming and these must be carried out in appropriate places.
Several residential areas in Mutare were last year affected by flash floods resulting from a combination of the heavy rains received as well as poor maintenance of the drainage systems and farming on mountains surrounding the city.
