By Felix Mutambo
The Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat Zambia (CFHHZ) says it’s high time the Government looked beyond relocating flood victims every year and found a long lasting solution that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Speaking in an interview with The Scoop, CHHZ Executive Director Grace Mtonga says the Treasury is drained every year when relocating flood victims, a process that does not help in the long run.
“We commend the Government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unity (DMMU) for facilitating the relocation of flood victims but there is a need to start finding permanent solutions going forward,” Ms Mtonga said.
She says it is time to go back to our drawing board and begin to tackle the problem from its roots and not working from the surface adding that the process should start from revisiting the settlement plan, so that people will be given plots in safe environments where the country will minimize spending on the yearly floods.
“We need to involve stakeholders on how best we can plan and provide decent houses that are affordable for a common Zambian,” Ms Mtonga said.
She further noted that the process of finding a long lasting solution should not just be left to the Government alone as it also needs citizen participation.
“People need to be supported with information before embarking on building houses such as how the land is where they want to build and how water flows in the area, among other things and this information can only be provided by the local council through the Department of Planning,” she said.
She also said citizens also should take it upon themselves to ensure that they are following the right guidelines to dispose of garbage unlike the common trend of throwing these in drainages resulting in blockages.
Ms Mtonga added that in the past, floods only affected peri- urban areas but lately, it has escalated to elite compounds, the situation she says indicates lack of proper planning.
