EDITORIAL: Let’s prepare well to deal with disasters

 

In Summary

• It was a reminder of similar floods that rendered Kilosa District residents homeless on Boxing Day in 2010, but the magnitude of the floods and the extensive damage also woke us up to the need for a strategy to rein in floods.

A record downpour on Wednesday washed away crops in the field, pasture land, shelters and a key bridge. This virtually divided the country into two isolated parts, courtesy of the distant Ukaguru Mountains range that overflowed upstream and fed Mkundi River. This cut off communication between the coastal belt and the upcountry regions.

It was a reminder of similar floods that rendered Kilosa District residents homeless on Boxing Day in 2010, but the magnitude of the floods and the extensive damage also woke us up to the need for a strategy to rein in floods.

Water that bursts its banks is a natural phenomenon that will happen every now and then. Although flood control measures cannot completely eliminate losses such as those incurred in the past two days, it is possible to minimise the destruction. While we commend the government for moving swiftly to deal with the broken bridge and provision of relief food, the authorities must wake up and smell the coffee.

In 2012, Kilolo MP Peter Msola advised the state to consider building alternative roads to ensure economic activities are not paralysed should key links get broken. Citing the Ruvu River Bridge in Coast Region, he cautioned that man-made structures were vulnerable to disasters.

The government should also consider the crisis a wake-up call to revive rail transport. Road and railway systems should compete to ensure passengers and freight are transported at reasonable cost, maximum safety and minimum impact on the environment.

Road transport is suitable for ferrying goods and people over a short distance but the railway is quicker, economical and best suited for moving heavy goods over a long distance. Besides, train journeys are more comfortable. Roads would come in handy in hilly areas where railway lines cannot be laid easily.

Whatever the circumstances, let us keep our transport options open and readily available.