No damage to schools infrastructure

Talent Gore

The Department of Civil Protection has said there has been calm in Harare following heavy rains that pounded the city last week.

In an interview, deputy director in charge of response and operations in the Department of Civil Protection, Farai Hokonya, said they had not received any reports from schools in Harare regarding infrastructure damage.

“We didn’t record any major incidences which warrant people to evacuate.

“So, besides the flash floods that you always see in town and in areas like Budiriro, there’s nothing of major alarm that was experienced in Harare.”

Hokonya said the department remains on high alert since Budiriro and Chitungwiza are prone to flooding.

“They will affect those who are settled on wetlands so, our teams are always on high alert, but fortunately for now, there’s nothing of major alarm that we have received that even warrants evacuation,” he said.

He said there are evacuation centres dotted around the city.

“In Budiriro, there is an evacuation centre which they know and in Chitungwiza, the local authority has given about five evacuation centres close to areas that are prone to flooding.

“Fortunately, we have not utilised the evacuation centres because there is no need for now,” said Hokonya.

Despite him saying Budiriro and Chitungwiza were the only areas of concern in Harare due to houses built on wetlands, flooding has previously been experienced in Harare West.