Maravi

LCC to demolish houses built on sewer systems

LCC to demolish houses built on sewer systems
By Mwila Chansa and Mwala Kalaluka
Wednesday January 30, 2008 [03:00]

Lusaka City Council public relations officer Henry Kapata on Monday said the local authority will earmark houses built on sewerage systems in Lusaka’s Misisi township for demolition after the rains. In an interview shortly after the tour of drainage works going on in some Lusaka townships, Kapata said floods had hit Misisi Township hard because of the illegal structures built on the drainage.

“The situation in Misisi is so serious that we will have no choice but to demolish the structures,” Kapata said.

And Kapata said a floods assessment in Lusaka indicated that Kanyama was the most hit.
“It is not true that the drainage works in Kanyama are politically motivated. We are also working on the drainage in Emmasdale, Kamwala, Matero and George compounds,” said Kapata.

He said a total of 243 workers had already been engaged to unblock the drainages in the named compounds with the Zambia National Service helping in unblocking the main drainage in Kanyama.

And women unblocking the drainage in Emmasdale urged the council to give them gloves as it was not safe for them to handle the substances they were retrieving from the drainage with their bare hands.

They also appealed to the council to give them more money because the K150,000 that they were currently receiving was inadequate for the type of work they were doing.
Meanwhile, some Kanyama residents have urged the government to continue unblocking and clearing drainages in the area because they have been greatly inconvenienced.
Justina Betu, of Metropolitan area whose house has been submerged, said they could not wait for the elections for their predicament to be resolved.

“Our toilets are blocked and we cannot even use them; the situation is very bad because this water is highly contaminated by waste matter,” she said.

“No, the government should just continue to drain this water and not listen to those opposed to the idea. We have even stopped our children from going to school because it is dangerous,” she said.

Two sisters, Bertha and Alice Mumba, who attend school at Lotus Primary School, said they always arrive late at school because they have to be extremely cautious when passing through the flooded areas along the way.

They say in some cases they are assisted by good Samaritans who guide them across the flooded section.

Labels: HENRY KAPATA, HOUSING, LCC

posted by MrK @ 3:23 AM