The Minister of Local Government and Public Works July Moyo
said this during a Cyclone Idai recovery project donation ceremony in Harare
yesterday.
The project is being funded by the African Development Bank
and implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and
the donated is equipment worth US$226 000.
This equipment is for use by the Meteorological Services
Department to improve monitoring weather developments in Chipinge and Chimanimani
in which the latter district was the epicentre of the Cyclone Idai induced
disaster in March 2019.
Zimbabwe, during this rainy season, had two cyclones, ANA
which left a trail of destruction and Batsirai which fortunately dissipated.
Minister Moyo said predictions by the Meteorological
Services Department have been accurate so far.
“According to Meteorological Services Department (MSD)
there is a projection of six more cyclones during the remainder of the current
rainy season. Thus, a robust mechanism for monitoring natural phenomena cannot
be over emphasised; And their predictions have been very accurate,” said
Minister Moyo.
He said so far during the rainy season over 1 500
households have been destroyed by the cyclonic weather.
“At every rainfall season, the country experiences damages
to social, economic and physical infrastructure and in the past two weeks,
Tropical Storm Ana compounded the situation and cumulative data for the
2021/2022 rainfall season indicate that about 1 557 households had their houses
partially damaged while some were completely destroyed; more than 50 schools
were damaged as well as road, water, sanitation, health and social
infrastructure. By the grace of God, for now, Tropical Storm Batsirai has
dissipated,” said Minister Moyo.
He said early warnings by the MSD were important to save
lives.
“Occurrence of weather-related shocks need not lead to loss
of human lives as affected populations can take early action, following
issuance of early warning information backed by scientific approaches through
use of the equipment being handed over to the Ministry of Environment, Climate,
Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
“The Meteorological Services Department is the key early
warning institution which requires substantial capacity building to be
effective and efficient in providing real time data to protect populations that
are vulnerable and exposed to risks associated with the weather,” said Minister
Moyo.
Speaking to Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN), Deputy
Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Barbara
Rwodzi said Government was ready for the projected cyclones.
“We are more than ready for those cyclones. It’s our
department together with other partners from outside the country who have
identified the cyclones. Hence, we are quite ready and what we have received
here to add more to what we have in terms of equipment and instruments and I
think we are ready. We work together with other departments such as Civil
Protection Unit, the police and the community itself and we are making them
aware of the cyclones that are coming,” said Deputy Minister Rwodzi.
When the MSD issued an advisory on impending Tropical
Cyclone Ana, a meeting of the Emergency Services Sub Committee, of the National
Civil Protection Committee, was convened to fully operationalise the National
Contingency Plan.
The plan includes Sub-national Civil Protection structures
headed by Ministers for Provincial Affairs and Devolution which were activated
and prepositioning of Jet AI fuel by the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Each province
was allocated 50 tonnes of maize grain which were to be managed by Provincial
Secretaries; $34 million was disbursed to all Provinces for cash preparedness;
and ZIMPLATS and Econet sponsored SMS alerts on risk information to raise
awareness on mobile phones for the public.
Last month, the MSD identified 13 districts in the northern
parts of Zimbabwe that were expected to be affected by a depressed tropical
cyclone Ana. The downgraded Tropical Storm Ana affected Zimbabwe, Zambia and
Malawi.
Malawi’s government suspended classes in all schools in the
southern districts of the country in the wake of the tropical cyclone.
In Mozambique, the National Delegation of Hydraulic
Resources Management (DNGRH) issued a flood risk alert for increased rainfall
starting January 25 and a flood risk for the Zambeze, Buzi, Pungoé, Licungo,
Ligonha, Meluli, Montepuez, Messalo, and Megaruma river basins as well as the
coastal areas of Zambézia, Nampula, and Cabo Delgado Provinces.
Locally, districts such as Chipinge, Chimanimani, Mutare,
Mutasa, Nyanga, Mudzi, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, Rushinga, Mt Darwin, Centenary,
Mbire, Northern Hurungwe and Kariba Districts were expected to be affected by
tropical cyclone Ana.
The Department of Civil Protection, has in the past issued
warnings and advised the public to stay away from swollen rivers and not to
drive through floodwaters as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to sweep away
a vehicle.
The public has been urged to ensure rooftops are secure by
checking nails that may be loose and also secure all loose items that are
outside, where possible place them in a safe storage space.
Names of tropical storms . . .
NAMES Provided by
Ana Mozambique
Batsirai Zimbabwe
Cliff Madagascar
Chronicle
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