Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tanzania urged to move quickly in response to floods

AllAfrica.com via the Citizen (Dar es Salaam): Some parts of the country have started receiving rains after a long spell of severe drought. However, the rains have been unusually heavy in some areas to the extent of causing suffering and widespread damage.

A few days ago, rains that pounded Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions destroyed roads and bridges. As a result, people travelling to those regions for Christmas holidays were stranded after flash floods swept away several culverts and bridges on the Babati-Arusha road.

As if this was not bad enough, heavy rains lashed Dodoma and Morogoro regions on Christmas and Boxing days, sweeping away or flooding dozens of houses. In Kongwa District, at least one person was killed and 14 houses destroyed. Dozens of homeless families had to be sheltered elsewhere.

It's good news that the district disaster committee in collaboration with the Tanzania Red Cross Society swung into action almost immediately. They provided flood victims with food, mosquito nets, water treatment chemicals and medicine to ward off an outbreak of malaria and water-borne diseases.
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In Kilosa District, it is reported that at least 10 houses were swept away and 500 others were flooded after the swollen River Mkondoa passing through the middle of the town burst its banks. This was caused by heavy rains in catchment areas in Dodoma Region.

River Mkondoa is notorious for flooding. On several occasions in the past it has swept the railway line with which it runs parallel for long distances. This paralysed railway services on the Central Line, from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma/Mwanza….

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