Dar flood victims given temporary shelter by neighbours

Dar es Salaam.  Some residents living at river valleys have been forced to temporarily relocate their homes after their houses flooded, following a downpour.

A survey conducted by this paper on Saturday, May 5, revealed that such residents had been given shelter by neighbours after their houses were flooded.

Recently, the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) issued a forecast showing the coast regions of Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Coast and Unguja and Pemba will experience heavy rain, warning residents to take precaution.

A resident of Kizinga Area in Kijichi Ward, Mr Nasoro Ibrahim said he was ready to relocate to another area, noting that the challenge he was facing was where to move to.

“I have been residing in this area since 1988, where will I relocate to at this age?” He questioned, saying sometimes they were viewed as opposing government directives, but in reality they had no place to go.

Ward councilor, Mr Eliasa Mtalawanje, said at least 56 houses were flooded in the area, causing inconveniences to residents following an overflow at Kizinga River.

Mr Ibrahim blamed city authorities for permitting people to establish settlements in the area, whereby they had been collecting property tax after providing the area with social services such as water and electricity.

“Unfortunately, they don’t want to build terraces at the Kizinga River to protect us from possible floods,” he said.

Another resident, Ms Victoria Mzava noted: "We are ready to relocate to another area if the government will find us such a place.”

For his part, a resident of Kilungule Ward in Mbagala, Mr James Chacha, said the government should strive to correct previous mistakes because apart from damaging houses, rain water damaged infrastructure, including roads.