The Sinazongwe District Disaster Management andMitigation Unit (DDMMU) has called for a complete reconstruction of theMaamba-Batoka road to avoid the problems of collapsing bridges and culverts
during every rain season.
DDMMU members, who include government heads of departments and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), said during a meeting in Sinazongwethat the road has outlived its span since it was constructed 41 years ago.
They said it was normal for most culverts to become weak because they hadnot been replaced for a long time.
The members, who were giving a preliminary report on the floods in thedistrict, disclosed that all the roads in the district have become impassable.
Sinazongwe District Director of Works Mathews Mashapi said there were 14 points that have been damaged along the Sinazeze-Chiyabi Bottom road.
He said the Nang’ombe Bridge and the Sikalamba Bridge have been damaged and the culverts that were fixed last year by the Road Construction Company(RCC) have also been washed away.
Mr Mashapi said most engineers working on the culverts fail to put into account the volume of water that would be passing in the culverts hence the damage during the rain season.
He said the road going to chief Sinazongwe’s palace was still disused.
He said the Maamba-Siansowa road has become impassable, adding that two bridges along the same road have been damaged.
Mr. Mashapi said 25 culverts have been damaged along the Bottom road.
The DDMMU also disclosed that crop fields totally to more than 350 hectares have been washed away.
They have since appealed to government to send relief food to assist the affected families.
ZANIS
Same story, different year.
am fed up of this Mongu Kalabo road story its like growing up watching sesami street year in year out for twenty years on ZNBC. some people are really surviving on stealing money from this road project, same as the Zimba Livingstone road
poor workmanship…as usual. When oh when will things improve?