The rains have
intensified, and we have started hearing news of heavy downpours destroying
homes and foodstuffs in various communities across the country.
According to some
recent reports, some households or families have already been seriously
affected by recent downpours in the provinces, which has prompted institutions
such as banks to make some handsome cash donations to the National Disaster
Management Agency (NDMA).
While this is good
and essential to mitigate the somehow ineluctable menace of the vagaries of
weather, it is prudent on our side to put in place mechanisms that would help us
minimize the occurrences of this mishap.
Put together, the
impacts of heavy downpours could be disastrous, if proper mechanisms are not
put in place to avert such preventable situations.
The recent storms
and heavy downpours upcountry have sparked fear that as the rains intensify in
the coming months, more unwanted realities might occur.
It is, therefore,
advisable that proper mechanisms are put in place to mitigate and prevent
damages that might take place in the upcoming weeks and months of intensive rains.
This fact has been
subscribed to by the altruistic estimation by the NDMA executive director who
quoted the Department of Water Resources prediction that this year’s rains are
expected to be above normal and “likely to displace over 35,000 people (mainly
women and children)”.
Furthermore, “the
agency has registered over 4,000 windstorm and flash flood victims so far,” the
NDMA executive director stated.
Disasters are no
respecter of race, tribe or social status, he rightly states, as they are
events that inflict great damage, destruction and human suffering.
However, while the
NDMA is asking for support to provide relief service to victims of disaster, we
as a nation should remember to put first things first.
In the first
place, communities should be adequately sensitised on precautionary measures to
avoid being hit by rain water floods and windstorms, as a result of the rainy
season weather condition.
People should also
be advised to avoid making settlements on waterways, and proper gutters or
waterways should be developed by the communities to minimize damages on houses
and settlements by the rains, windstorms and flashfloods.
Otherwise,
communities could face dire situations and predicaments that could be seriously
dreadful.
Even though some
relief may come from certain quarters such as government through the National
Disaster Management Agency, and some other private entities and individuals, to
alleviate the plight of victims of rain floods and storms, it is always
advisable to prevent rather than to cure.
“Treatment without
prevention is simply unsustainable.“
Bill Gates
