THE Bulawayo City Council’s fire and rescue services department has embarked on a floods awareness campaign targeting 14 flood-prone suburbs ahead of the rainy season.
The council has also roped in the Department of Civil Protection, World Vision, Plan International and Danish Church Aid into the programme.
Bulawayo acting chief fire officer Linos Phiri yesterday said the campaign was aimed at educating communities on disaster and risk management.
“We are now going into the rainy season and through these campaigns, we are trying to encourage members of the public to be extra careful with flooding as we have recorded cases of people and motorists getting swept away while trying to cross flooded rivers,” Phiri said.
He added: “People do not want to listen to precautions we give them. Therefore, we do these campaigns to try and remind them of the dangers associated with floods, we encourage people that once there is rain they must stay indoors.
“We have had cases and victims of floods in a number of places especially in residential areas where people don’t want to open loopholes on their precast walls to allow water to pass.”
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In 2020, Pumula, Nketa, Emganwini, Nkulumane and Cowdray Park suburbs were hit by flash floods, leaving several houses waterlogged.