Dar after 72hrs: Counting losses and profit

Dar es Salaam residents queue to cross the bridge across Mzinga River yesterday. The bridge linking the city’s Mbagala and Kongowe areas was damaged by the raging waters of the swollen Mzinga River following three days of heavy rains. Only a few people were allowed to pass on the unstable bridge at a time resulting in long queues on both sides of the structure. PHOTO | VENANCE NESTORY 

By The Citizen Reporters

In Summary

The government has asked Members of the Constituent Assembly (MCAs) to donate Sh180 million, being a forfeiture of their one day per diem to go towards flood victims in Dar es Salaam, Coastal and Morogoro regions.

Dar es Salaam. After 72 hours of heavy rains, Dar es Salaam residents are heaving a sigh of relief as the downpour recedes.Many, however, continue to count losses while others are counting millions, having taken advantage of the badly damaged infrastructure to earn cash.

It wasn’t wholly unexpected situation because the weather experts last week warned of the looming floods. The BBC weatherman warned two days earlier that there would be heavy rains in Dar es Salaam.

And then, Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) also gave the warning, but it seems few took warnings lightly.

From last Friday to Sunday, the city had to contend with unprecedented downpour which killed people, caused damaged properties and infrastructure.

As we filed this report, the death toll stood at 13, while thousands had been rendered homeless. Many roads had been rendered impassable.

Passengers from southern, central, Lake Zone and Northern Zones, were stranded for up to 12 hours, while others spent the night at the Ruvu Bridge, 70km outside Dar es Salaam, because no one was willing to gamble with nature.

Squatters as well as posh houses of the affluent were all it in, surrounded by water. Flood-prone areas like Tabata, Jangwani, Sinza, Tegeta, Mbezi Beach and Mikocheni in Dar es Salaam paid a heavy price during the last 72 hours—as residents contended with the wrath of Mother Nature.

Motorists took up to seven hours to drive from Morocco junction to Tegeta, a mere 12km trip.

President Kikwete, while on a tour to assess the situation, also pondered on how risky it was for Dar es Saaalm, the country’s economic nerve centre, to rely on a single trunk road connecting it with southern, central, northern and Lake Zone regions.

Blessing in disguise

But as others counted the cost of losses, some made quick money. Among them were motorbike taxi (famously known as ‘bodaboda’) and the tricycle (bajaj) operators whose revenues surged dramatically, thanks to heavy rainfall.

Rashid Maulid, a 27 years old motorbike driver operating from Tabata Segerea to other parts of the city told the Citizen that his earnings increased to Sh95,000 on Friday up from Sh25,000 per day.