Dar city comes to standstill

...downpour paralyses transport, devastates properties 

DAR ES SALAAM came to a standstill yesterday as downpour pounded the city and its suburbs, paralysing transport, devastating properties and claiming at least one life.

Early reports had it that the rains resulted into one death, with the deceased, a resident of Ilala district, estimated at the age of between 25 and 30 years.

Ilala Regional Police Commander Salum Hamduni told the ‘Daily News’ that the body of the dead whose name could not be immediately established, was recovered at Kimanga area at Tabata.

Commander Hamduni explained that some houses at flood-prone area of Jangwani were totally submerged and the police were still assessing the situation.

National Traffic Police Commander Fortunatus Musilimu said they had to swiftly close some major roads that became impassable due to flooding by running waters.

Mentioning some of the affected roads, he said, part of Morogoro road at Kiluvya, Coast region, the speeding waters were passing over the bridge at Kwa Komba area. “We decided to stop the vehicles driving passing the bridge, and instead, they had to use alternative route of Bagamoyo road to Dar es Salaam,” he said.

Unfortunately one defiant driver forced his way passing the bridge and the running waters pushed the vehicle off the road, plunging into the river. Police managed to rescue passengers on board as the vehicle submerged in water, with the driver escaping from the scene.

“We have stationed police officers along the risky roads to ensure that the cars do not pass,” he said. In Dar es Salaam, he said, at Jangwani area the bridge was also immersed, compelling motorists to use Umoja road heading to Selender Bridge. Passengers using the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (UDART) buses to Mbezi, Kimara and Kinondoni via Jangwani were stranded after the transport services were shelved from yesterday afternoon.

Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) said the ongoing rains were a result of climate change and were expected to continue until December. “We had already issued an alert since September over occurrence of these seasonal rains,” said TMA acting Director General, Dr Ladslaus Chang’a.

He assured that the rains were expected ansport, devastates properties to return to normal by yesterday. Highlighting on the forecasts for yesterday, he said, Kibaha weather forecasting centre recorded the highest amount of rains at 177.9 millimetres since it was set up in 1964 with Unguja continuing to lead in areas with highest precipitation at 190.1 millimetres (mm).

He told this paper that Dar es Salaam received 153.3 mm whereas Pemba recorded 42.3mm. The acting TMA chief who doubles as the agency’s Director of Research and Weather Support Services said the amount received at Kibaha centre was the highest since the facility establishment.

“Since 1964, the centre has never recorded rains as those recorded in the past 24 hours; one of indicators of climate change globally is highest precipitation,” the weatherman explained.

Dr Chang’a explained further that in recent daily weather forecasts, the weather agency had warned of heavy rains in the Northern Coast and Northern Eastern Highlands, urging Tanzanians to make close follow-up on weather reports.

Meanwhile, DEUS NGOWI reports from the Northern Zone that Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara regions have also started having their share of the short rains, which are pounding other parts of the country.

After the usual long spells of dry season since August, it started raining this week, with Rombo district, Vunjo area of Moshi Rural district, Siha district and parts of highlands areas of Arusha and Manyara experiencing more than other areas.

Generally, areas close to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro are enjoying more rains and pathways to Africa’s highest mountain, experience fog in early hours of day regardless of rains or not. But, due to lack of rains for a long stint, soil was generally dry and as it pounded, the water in most areas percolated to the soil and there was no flood resulting from the rain.

From last weekend, Moshi Municipality had experienced strong and dry winds for about two days, an indication of rain but it was until the third day that it started raining. Arusha Chini lowland areas of Moshi that are typically flooded when it rains have so far been spared as it is the case for Arusha.

In Manyara, it has been raining in different parts this week, Babati and Kwaraa hills having the best rains, albeit light, only putting off the dust that has characterised the region.