{{Residents in Tanzania’s Capital Dar es Salaam have accused the city authorities of laxity in enforcing urban planning laws that has seen people build their homes in the path of streams, blocking the waterways and wreaking havoc}}
Local media reports that hundreds of residents are living in pathetic conditions after a two-day downpour flooded their homes.
The situation has been made worse by the fact that there are few or no outlets for the rainwater to drain away.
Residents accuse municipal authorities of allowing people to build in restricted areas such as river beds.
Some have built walls and fences that have blocked the flow of rain water. The damage caused by the floods has extended from the usual flood-prone areas to other parts of the city.
An expert has blamed the problem on a poor building permit system, an outdated city master plan and a poor solid waste collection system.
“We should expect the worst in the next few years if we don’t adopt robust measures to reverse this trend,” said Dr Robert Ntakamulenga, the director of environmental compliance and enforcement at the National Environment Management Council.
NMG
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