By
Ndumiso
Tshuma
As
heavy
rains
approach,
Bulawayo
city
officials
and
key
stakeholders
have
launched
an
urgent
public
awareness
campaign
to
equip
residents
with
crucial
knowledge
for
flood
and
fire
prevention.
This
collaborative
initiative,
spearheaded
by
the
Civil
Protection
Unit
(CPU),
police,
various
government
ministries
and
the
Bulawayo
City
Council
(BCC),
aims
to
bolster
community
preparedness,
safeguard
lives
and
property
against
potential
natural
disasters
posed
by
the
upcoming
rainy
season.
Joined
by
organisations
such
as
DanChurchAid
(DCA),
the
Environmental
Management
Agency
(EMA),
and
the
fire
brigade,
the
group
gathered
on
Thursday,
going
to
different
suburbs
in
Bulawayo
to
raise
awareness
and
share
essential
safety
information,
especially
as
the
Meteorological
Services
Department
of
Zimbabwe
forecasts
a
particularly
heavy
rainfall
season.
Part
of
the
crowd
that
attended
the
launch
of
the
anti-flooding
campaign
“We
urge
residents
and
children
to
find
shelter
immediately
when
it
starts
to
rain
and
to
remain
there
until
it
stops,”
Inspector
Ncube
advised.“For
school
children,
it’s
safer
for
a
teacher
to
keep
you
in
class
than
for
you
to
risk
crossing
flooded
areas.”
Inspector
Ncube
highlighted
the
dangers
of
improper
drainage
practices,
which
have
worsened
flood
risks
in
neighborhoods
like
Nketa,
Nkulumane,
and
Mahatshula.
He
said
police
have
discovered
personal
items,
such
as
wardrobes
and
beds,
clogging
storm
drains,
while
makeshift
drainages
created
by
residents
often
channel
floodwaters
into
neighbors’
properties,
causing
significant
damage.
“People
have
created
weep
holes
on
the
wrong
side
of
their
durawalls,
directing
rainwater
into
neighbouring
yards
and
causing
flooding
that
affects
homes’
infrastructure,”
Ncube
warned.
With
the
rainy
season
now
underway,
Ncube
also
reminded
drivers
to
exercise
extreme
caution
on
wet
roads,
explaining
that
slippery
surfaces
increase
stopping
distances.
“Avoid
speeding
on
wet
roads
and
never
attempt
to
cross
flooded
streams
or
bridges,”
he
advised.
Bulawayo’s
Chief
Fire
Officer,
Mhlangano
Moyo,
provided
additional
safety
tips
to
prevent
fires
during
the
season.
He
cautioned
families
to
keep
matches
and
lighters
out
of
children’s
reach
and
to
handle
heat
sources
like
irons
and
candles
responsibly.
“Always
place
irons
upright
and
turn
them
off
before
leaving
the
room.
Don’t
sleep
with
a
heater
on
or
leave
combustible
materials
near
heat
sources,”
Moyo
warned.
Moyo
also
reminded
residents
to
unplug
electrical
devices
when
not
in
use,
particularly
during
power
outages,
to
minimise
fire
hazards.
Electrical
appliances
should
be
switched
off
and
unplugged
before
going
to
bed,
during
load-shedding,
or
when
leaving
the
house,”
he
said.