Thursday, March 28, 2024

Maamba Collieries Limited temporarily fixes the Batoka Maamba road to clear traffic

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Portion of the Damaged Batoka Maamba road
Portion of the Damaged Batoka Maamba road
OVER hundred motorists were on Tuesday left stranded following the collapse of a portion of the Batoka/ Maamba road on Tuesday following heavy rains experienced in the area but the affected part has since been fixed temporarily by Maamba Collieries Limited (MCL).

The collapsed portion was about seven metres wide near Sikanungu stream about 43 kilometres from Batoka after hill top which left members of the public from both sides, motorists including trucks loaded with coal destined for the Copperbelt, and Democratic Republic of Congo stuck and spent the whole night on the road side.

But MCL came to the aid of the motorists when it sealed the portion with rock fill which helped to clear all the vehicles that were stuck and started off around 08 hours yesterday.

MCL Head of Construction Pantulu Gogulapati said they spent about five hours to fill up the affected portion with over 100 truckloads of rock fill.

“This is just for relief to clear the traffic, we have loaded about 87 truckloads of rocks and we need 15 more loads for the road to be better,” he said.

Southern Province Deputy permanent secretary Douglas Ngimbu who visited the scene described the situation as a disaster which required interventions from all stakeholders.

Mr Ngimbu paid tribute to Maamba Collieries for the quick intervention and urged the Road Development Agency (RDA) to also access the weaker points on the same road.

“It’s a disaster let’s all stakeholders support RDA, this is an important road which leads to two important mines,” Mr Ngimbu said. RDA Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs Loyce Saili said the agency was making arrangements to mount a bailey bridge at the affected point.

Ms Saili said bridge components were being mobilised from RDA provincial offices in Mongu and Kabwe.

“The transportation of the bailey bridge components will begin today (yesterday), the components are being mobilised from provincial offices in Mongu and Central province,” Ms Saili said.

Sinazongwe District Commissioner Protacio Mulenga said the entire road needed to be re-done as a shoulder of the road at Malabali has already been eroded which calls for urgent attention.

Mr Mulenga said the situation should not been politicised as a RDA was working on putting up a baily bridge.

Area Member of Parliament Gif Sailubalo was also found at the scene and also officers from the National Council of Construction were also found questioning some RDA engineer as to whether they carried out an assessment of the road last year.

The wash away had been attributed to flash floods which have been experienced in the area.

21 COMMENTS

  1. Work well-done,we good investors like maamba who can give back to the community and the government in all areas.Let us Not leave everything to the government alone,we Zambians can do it and make a better Zambia, believe me we can.

    • Government is only capable of distributing violence and dununa dancing,sorry I forgot stealing.Solwezi road was the same without FQM the road would have been no more.In the meantime the minions spent 5yrs shouting and puffing about development throughout the country.

  2. Every society has got internal problems that can be fixed internally and external problems which they have no control over. Natural disasters are experiences where we have no control. What we should do do is worry about the further flash floods and what damages we should expect. In case you bloggers don’t know the part I like most in the news is the weather report……….and I quote yesterdays report,”the ITCZ is oscillating over the southern part of Zambia and has a very heavy presence indicating cloudy to cloudy weather expected with heavy downpours in the Southern Part of the Country. The Northern Part of the country is enjoying favourable moist Congo winds which are responsible for the patches of rain in many places. However Northern Parts of Luapula and Northern provinces are…

  3. The solution should have been to put culverts or storm water pipes across the eroded section. work with nature and not against it. In that position there should been a culvert for water to pass naturally as per existing contours .If it rains heavily any time soon the same place (if not the adjacent) will be washed away. Water is knocking on the door of the new road for a safe passage across the road which was missed by the Road Design Engineer/ contractor.

    • Depends on how deep the washed away part and if your culverts are high enough. Besides they have said it’s a temporary measure awaiting the bridge.

    • Typical poor planning by a clueless vision less PF government!

      Or maybe they just stole all the money for a proper culvert.

      Drainage of storm water is not rocket science, but obviously beyond the brain power of Lungu and his world travelling sycophants.

  4. Why pay road tax if RDA can not quickly sort out this road..they are just good at writting out overpriced cheques to their proxy companies doing dodgy jobs!!

  5. As the limestone dissolves, pores and cracks are enlarged and carry even more acidic water. Sinkholes are formed when the land surface above collapses or sinks into the cavities or when surface material is carried downward into the voids.

  6. Well done all stakeholders for working together for a common good.I am impressed.This the unity of purpose we need in Zambia and not insulting each other when challenged by nature.

  7. Disasters like this can happen anywhere, any time and to anyone. Instead of puking nonsense like #1 let’s all “suffer ” with affected people and hope the situation stabilizes in the shortest time possible.

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