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THE heavy rains that have been pounding most parts of the country are most welcome but they have come at a heavy price. Zimbabwe and the sub-region have been receiving incessant rains since last month and they show no sign of abetting anytime soon. Meteorologists are predicting more heavy rains in the coming weeks and this is no good news for the ageing and dilapidated infrastructure of this country. Farmers, naturally, are elated at the good rains, but even they must be praying for a break in heavy downpours to allow crops time to grow under sunlight.
Leaching is another problem they might be grappling with in the face of these incessant rains. But the gravest challenges the country is confronted with are the heavy toll the rains are having on the infrastructure and the threat of flooding particularly in low-lying areas.
The Civil Protection Unit has been seized with rescue efforts in such areas as Muzarabani, Gokwe, Tokwe-Mukorsi in Masvingo and Tsholotsho where villagers have lost property and are in danger of being swept away by floods. We reported on Thursday that at least 23 homesteads had been destroyed while about 250 families risked being swept away by flash floods in Tsholotsho.
Today, we publish aerial pictures showing the extent of the floods in the area and their impact on people’s lives, particularly the school children who are no longer attending classes. Thankfully, the Civil Protection Unit and the Airforce of Zimbabwe have responded swiftly to the problem and are assisting with rescue efforts, providing shelter and food along with various non-governmental organisations such as MSF, Child Care Ministry, Plan International and World Vision.
In cities, the rains have spawned a plethora of problems chief among them environmental and humanitarian concerns with sewer pipes bursting and drainage pipes blocked. Bulawayo for instance, is reported to be sitting on a health time bomb with raw sewage in suburbs such as Selborne Park, Makokoba, Emakhandeni, Gwabalanda, Cowdray Park, Mahatshula, Luveve, Pelandaba and Njube flowing with rain water on the streets.
Residents said every time there were heavy rains, the sewer system gets overloaded and while council workers attended to it promptly, the problem recurs because the pipes are now old and dilapidated and cannot withstand the heavy rains. Evidently, a health hazard looms with diseases such as typhoid, dysentery, diarrhoea and cholera likely to break out. It appears the heavy rains have exposed the fragility of the infrastructure in the country and we call on authorities to urgently overhaul it.
At the level of central Government, the heavy rains have exposed the urgent need to refurbish key infrastructure such as roads and dams especially the trunk highways, rural roads and the completion of projects such as the Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam.
Most highways are littered with potholes posing a grave danger to motorists and other travellers. In major cities such as Bulawayo, council is struggling to cope with repairing and resurfacing its roads which have gully-like potholes. Many a motorist has suffered damage to their vehicles as a result of these potholes which have worsened since the onset of the rains. Council seems resigned to waiting until the rains ebb before attending to them.
Compounding this situation is the poor drainage system in the city. Drainage pipes appear to be clogged with debris and roads are usually impassable after heavy rains. While we acknowledge the city’s precarious financial position, the local authority can afford to sacrifice a portion of its budget to attend to these pressing matters. In the overall scheme of things, the entire country appears to have been ill-prepared for these heavy rains.
While they are a blessing for our agro-based economy, the nation’s battered infrastructure is paying a heavy price. We might be counting the costs at the end of this rainy season.
Online Reporter