Pio Matos, the mayor of Quelimane, capital of the central Mozambican province of Zambezia, says that the money allocated to the municipality to repair the damages caused by severe flooding in February is insufficient.
Cited in Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", Matos thanked the central government for granting funds equivalent to one million US dollars - but added that this sum will not cover the rehabilitation, particularly of the city's roads.
"This amount is still derisory, if we look at the level of destruction and the degradation of the roads, as well as the work that has to be done. if we are to have an operational and efficient drainage system", said Matos.
He pointed out that the torrential rains of February did not only destroy houses, but washed away road and drainage structures, notably on the stretch that links the centre of the city to the neighbourhood of Chuabo Dembe, where a number of key services, including the local university, are located.
"Quelimane needs a different level of investment to change this scenario", Matos said, "There is a study that estimates the real needs to place new tubing, that has never been replaced since the city was built. Only such an investment would solve the problem".
But the money for such major work did not yet exist, and so Matos pledged that the municipality will use the available money to the best effect where the situation is most critical "in order to preserve the asphalt that is left on our roads, because it's at risk of disappearing".
"At the same time we shall continue to focus on cleaning up the drainage channels", he added.
Matos guaranteed that the programme to rehabilitate the infrastructures is to take off within a few days, and the necessary materials have already been concentrated in strategic places.
The floods in Quelimane destroyed the homes of about 600 families. According to Matos, those who lost their houses were initially sheltered at the Zampene Accommodation centre, and later transferred to Nicoadala district. But some of the victims have rebuilt their houses in Quelimane at their own expense Matos pointed out that the rains had their positive side, from the agricultural point of view. "There's never been so much production of rice in the Quelimane green zone as in this year", he said.
SOURCE: AIM
