Dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed after flash floods swept through areas of the city of Blantyre, Malawi.
The Nasolo River broke its banks in 03 January 2022, sending flood waters raging through Ndirande Township in Blantyre City, Malawi’s second largest city with a population of around 1 million.
Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) reported 2 houses were completely swept away and further 4 were severely damaged. At least 32 people were displaced as a result. Around 126 household were affected in total. Authorities have distributed relief supplies to the affected communities.
DoDMA said that the flash floods were aggravated by careless disposal of waste by communities plying their trade and residing along Nasolo River. Principal Relief and Rehabilitation Officer, Natasha Mbengo said the department has observed that there is a lot of dumping of waste and carpenters around Makata Ward throw their sawdust in Nasolo River leading to blockage of the Nasolo Bridge.
“We have advised the (Blantyre City) council to raise awareness on the malpractice. We have also advised the council to establish refuse banks to control waste disposal,” said Mbengo.
Edyth Kambalame, Editor of Malawi’s The Nation on Sunday, blamed deforestation in upland areas. “The flooding of Nasolo River in Ndirande, Malawi is a stark reminder of the need to conserve nature. Uphill on the mountain trees have been cut down and now nature fights back as tree products get washed away by floods,” Ms Kambalame said via Social Media. The deforestation in upland areas around Blantyre came into question after the devastating floods of 2015.
Social Media
This video clip of the flooding of Nasolo River in Ndirande, #Malawi is a stark reminder of the need to conserve nature. Uphill on the mountain trees have been cut down & now nature fights back as tree products get washed away by floods #ClimateCrisis #ProtectTrees #SaveTheWorld pic.twitter.com/pMomKi06z4
— Edyth Kambalame (@EdythK) January 3, 2022
