The rainy season is upon us. Whilst most people appreciate the rains more than they can express, it is however a different case for motorists and pedestrians who have to constantly experience the drawback: the pools of water that result from poor drainage. The entrance to Game city mall, close to Spar, is one amongst many other places accustomed with flooding as roads submerge in pools of water especially after heavy downpours. Obviously the main issue is the poor drainage and not the rains.
The pools of water not only pose a health risk to residents and pedestrians, but it has become a major hazard to motorists on the road. The sad reality is that residents and politicians have seemingly not learnt any lessons from the floods that have annually been engulfing the capital city of Gaborone.
Some of these floods would have been avoided if town planners had seriously taken strategic measures to avert such problems. Year in and year out, the city is engulfed with the same problem. What surprises me is there seems to be no urgency in addressing this problem which is fast becoming a festering national emergency.
 
We really thank God that Gaborone has not experienced raging storms and cyclones we always hear being reported in other countries on the news. My greatest worry is that a time might come when serious floods will come to this country. If they do, not that i anticipate it, how are we going to deal with the problem?
From the mountains of garbage in most residential areas begging to be disposed off, as well as garbage bags dumped on the road side, which have become a common sight by the way, the risks of disease spreading is henceforth increased in communities. This means, residents also shoulder a big portion of the blame for indiscriminately throwing of garbage which not only blocks drainage systems but provides a platform for disease to thrive.
Lack of monitoring or supervision by the council to ensure that developers do not encroach on drainage lines is another factor that might be contributing to flooding becoming an annual phenomenon. Haphazard buildings make it very hard for the council to construct storm drains so that, during a heavy down pour, water could flow smoothly unlike collecting in the townships as we constantly see around the city.
Currently Botswana is on the precipice due to the low levels of water at the Gaborone dam. To make matters worse, it was recently reported that the Gaborone dam will not fill up this season. This means the pools of water we see every time we experience rainfall are an opportunity to be utilised since they could be harvested. This could cushion the erratic supply of water in Gaborone, whose inhabitants are getting tetchy about the weekly water shedding.
It is common sense that every road is supposed to go with a drainage system. But a cursory look at most of the roads reveals a disturbing trend. I call upon the Council to treat this not just as a problem secluded in one part of the city, but as a festering national emergency.
Botswana must show the world what Botswana is; Botswana should not say anything but show what it is because if Botswana cannot show it but says it, it means whatever it is saying is not there. Batswana are now tired of government statements which carry fire at rallies but fizzle out “on the ground”.
Populist political statements made at rallies are problematic in that they make people believe in something that is never going to be addressed. Then people are going to use those same promises against them.
And there is no need to treat people that way.
No matter what the political spectrum each one of us might belong to, we all agree on this issue ÔÇô that it is time for our government to deliver the best care and governance to the nation.
It is time flooding becomes a thing of the past. I am aware that improving the drainage system is a very expensive undertaking and will gobble up millions over the years. It should be noted in this case that the expense does not outweigh the end result as it would lead to greater control of flash floods.
Whilst the Government is contemplating measures to avert floods, residents should also bear in mind that dumping of garbage on the roadside not only blocks the few drainage systems in place, but also causes unnecessary flooding which also poses a risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases as well as creating a conducive breeding ground for mosquitoes through ponds of stagnant water.
The council has to engage the government and secure funds for a proper stormwater drainage system, and improving the storm water drainage system in Gaborone must be made a high priority in 2015.
