Maravi

More funds required for road rehabilitation works, says RDA

More funds required for road rehabilitation works, says RDA
By Mwala Kalaluka in Choma
Tuesday January 01, 2008 [03:00]

THE Road Development Agency (RDA) has said the demand for funds to rehabilitate collapsed infrastructure will increase this year due to the unusual rain patterns being experienced in the country. And the RDA has blamed the washing away of two vital bridges on the 69 kilometre Maamba-Batoka road on vandalism. The development, which has been caused by fast flowing water channels, has led to the cutting-off of Sinazongwe from the rest of the country.

RDA acting chief executive officer Erasmus Chilundika said in an interview that this year’s financial requirement for emergency repair works on infrastructure damaged by the rains would undoubtedly exceed last year’s K13 billion.

“No doubt there is need for more money, but also for timely releases of the monies, because if funds are released in September and you have a backlog of repair works, that leads you to the rainy season. So far, though our engineers have started repairing some of the infrastructure (for 2007), but there is very little they can do under such conditions,” Chilundika said. “The total budget was K13 billion and I think K4 billion was released, with another K2 billion being released last month and so that brings to about K6 billion released out of the K13 billion that was budgeted for.”

He said more roads and bridges were already getting damaged following the onset of the rainy season.

“So we need more money and we need that money now so that preparatory works can begin and so that during the dry season we can complete those damaged structures,” Chilundika said. “We are going to join hands with the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU). We just need to give them a report of what emergency materials we need.”

And Chilundika described the situation on the Maamba-Batoka road as precarious.
“The issue here is that the culverts have been vandalised, weakening the whole structure,” he said. “But more than that, the rainy patterns have been unusual, that being the case the structures have been weakened.”

He said the RDA would place some bailey bridges at the spots within the next three days in order to open up the road.

Meanwhile, over 250 vehicles were stranded on both sides of the Katwereza Bridge on the Lusaka-Chirundu road after a culvert gave in on Sunday.

The busy road has also been cut-off after a section collapsed in Siavonga’s Lusitu area.
And about 3,000 villagers in chiefs Hanjalika and Mwanachingwala of Mazabuka have been left homeless after the Magoye River burst its banks causing severe flooding.
Several herds of cattle, goats and chickens have not been accounted for while household property and maize fields have been destroyed.

Mazabuka district commissioner, Misheck Chiinda, who inspected the area, described the situation as a disaster.

Chiinda soon after the tour of the affected areas urged the Office of the Vice-President to quickly send tents, food, blankets and chlorine to the affected areas to avert a possible outbreak of disease.

He said 520 homes and 30 toilets have been completely submerged in water.

Chiinda said in Magoye township 60 homes and 30 toilets have been submerged in water, while Chitongo area in chief Hanjalika had 60 homesteads swept away by the floods.
He also said a villager of Chitongo was trapped on an island with his 15 herds of cattle because of the high water levels.

Chiinda said the bursting of the river started around midnight on Sunday.
He, however, said no casualties had been recorded and that the stranded villagers had been accommodated at Chitongo and Magoye basic schools.

In chief Mwanachingwala’s area, five villages along the banks of the Magoye River have also been swept away by floods leaving 400 families stranded.

Chief Mwanachingwala described the situation as a disaster which needed urgent government attention.

Labels: RDA, ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, ROADS

posted by MrK @ 4:58 AM