Vusumuzi Dube
Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council on Thursday embarked on a flood and fire awareness campaign to educate members of the public on the dangers and safety tips that people should be aware of in the rainy season.
Ever year the rainy season brings with it the threat of flooding in various areas. Further, the city has in recent months experienced a number of fires which have resulted in the damage of property valued at millions of dollars.
In an interview with Sunday News on the sidelines of the event, the city’s acting chief fire officer, Mr Linos Phiri said they will be going around the city to educate the public on flood and fire awareness.
“Following on the dangers from the previous experiences of people being swept away, people driving in flooded areas and being swept away by water has been a cause of concern and we have decided to embark on these campaigns to mitigate these dangers,” said Mr Phiri.
He said during this rainy season they are advising people with private premises to open holes on their durawalls to allow water to freely flow out of houses.
“We encourage people with duwalls to open walls for water to flow freely because once water is stagnant it has a tendency to rise and damage people’s houses,” said Phiri.
He said people will be given fliers that educate them on safety precautions like switching off electrical breakers when it is raining and teaching people about the common causes of fire and how to prevent it.
World Vision, Africa Ahead, Local Government are charitable organisations that have decided to partner with the City Council to ensure that the whole city is well educated.
Bongani Ndlovu