Flooded river poses mobility challenges
Communities from traditional authorities (T/As) Makanjira and Lulanga in Mangochi had a rude awakening on Monday when Litisa River burst its banks, rendering a section of the Mangochi-Makanjira Road impassable.
The incident followed heavy rains the country received from Friday to Sunday.
A video clip that has gone viral, shows people carrying pregnant women across the flooded river to a waiting ambulance on the other side of the road.
The situation has reignited calls to construct a bridge across the river to ease mobility challenges, especially during the rainy season.
A community member Alex Amadu said patients from Makanjira and Lulanga health centres have since Friday last week failed to travel to Mangochi District Hospital for further treatment.
Marriam Mustafa, a businessperson who supplies fresh fish to lodges at Mangochi Boma, said she lost business during the days the river flooded.
In a WhatsApp interview, Mangochi North legislator Benedicto Chambo(Democratic Progressive Party) said he visited the place to appreciate the problem.
He said: “I visited the place, but as you can see the problem is huge and beyond my scope.
“This is not the first time for my area to experience such a problem. We experience such problems every year.”
On his part, Mangochi district disaster official Francis Kadzokoya said he did not receive any communication concerning the situation on Litisa River, located about 90 kilometres from Mangochi Boma.
