Stop allocating plots along water bodies – Nundwe

Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary, Bright Nundwe has implored local authorities in the province to stop allocating pieces of land near water bodies.ZANIS reports that Mr Nundwe said doing so will contribute to man-made disasters which previously have been recorded in many parts of the province.Mr. Nundwe said yesterday in Ndola during commemoration of ‘International Day for Risk Disaster Reduction’ that he will not entertain allocation of plots in water logged areas because it has been costly on the treasury to manage disasters. He said stakeholders should work together in reducing disasters in the province.“I wish to emphasise the need for all stakeholders to work together if man-made disasters are to be avoided and save resources that could be channeled to other critical needs,” he saidDuring the event, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in the province also donated bags of relief mealie meal and maize to 22 boarding schools to cushion their feeding programmes.And Mr. Nundwe urged the schools to use the mealie meal for the intended purpose by ensuring that learners fully benefit from the relief support.He further directed that schools should fully venture into production units for self-sustainability.“This is very important day for us, reducing risks, disasters. You as learning institutions should also play your part by making sure that you fully go into production units as directed by your parent minstry,” he said.He has directed all councils across the province to refrain from allocating plots in water logged areas as one of the ways to reducing disasters.And DMMU Regional Coordinator, George Akalemwa said the day is an important one because it promotes the global culture of risk awareness on communities.Mr. Akalemwa said the department will continue sensitising communities on the need to reduce and avoid man-made disasters.He said the DMMU’s mandate is not just to manage disasters but also to mitigate them, against this background that the department is working hard to ensure communities are involved in ending avoidable disasters. – ZANIS The Sun