Over 21 families have been left in the cold in Mpata Hills settlement area located 15 km away from Luanshya town after their houses collapsed following a heavy down pour.
A check by ZANIS in Luanshya revealed that not only houses had collapsed but that also crops were submerged in water.
A resident of Mpata hills Friday Sichela said most families have abandoned their homes, seeking refuge with their neighbours, while others have resorted to building makeshift houses.
He said the area which carters for a population of over 1000 people is water logged, as most of the roads are flooded.
Mr. Sichela added that the area has become susceptible for mosquitoes adding that wells and toilets are over filled with water and faecal effluent was overflowing thereby posing a health hazard to the people.
He has since appealed to government to relocate the affected families to the upper land.
Another resident Joseph Lungu said crops in the affected area were submerged in water a situation that has threatened food security.
“Maize stalks are so weak that they cannot hold in the ground additionally the groundnuts are rotting due to excessive water. I have abandoned both my house and my fields because of the floods. Our appeal to government is to consider finding us another piece of land where we can be resettled” Lungu said.
And Luanshya District Commissioner Harold Mbaulu who visited the area to evaluate the extent of damage described the situation as a disaster.
Mr. Mbaulu who assured the people of government’s prompt response said he was going to dispatch the district epidemic and disaster management committees to mitigate the situation.
The DC however called on the local people to desist from settling in disaster prone areas saying it was unfortunate that government had to waste money in dealing with situations which could be avoided.
“As the district administrative office, we have time and again through the disaster management preparedness committee sensitized our people against settling in disaster prone areas but they deliberately do not heed to the call” Mbaulu said.
He stated that government was however concerned with the welfare all citizens, saying he was going to engage the council and other stakeholders in sourcing land to relocate the people of Mpata hills.
Luanshya has been experiencing heavy rains with several houses and schools collapsing while others have had their roofs blown off.
ZANIS
Luanshya is a suffering place mwe! Kambwili and Chungu busing bitching about who’s more important!
Very sad indeed. May God be with you all and hope a solution is found soonest
Sorry mwebana
Pabwato government shall repair all houses immediately. In the interim, they shall be allowed to stay in State House. Sata shall ferry them safely to State House on Pabwato.
stop ukukula imisakuta build houses and not imisakuta
Go ku mushi, there is plenty of fertile land.
@kombo, wabe tweno.do u kno where mpata hills area is? dont contribute 4 the sake of yapping.abena musumba are going thru problms then icimuntu cileponyapo. dont u know luanshya as much as lusaka is a village for some tribes?