Kaputa flood victims reluctant to handover Disaster Management tents

Some displaced families of Chilubi village of Kaputa district are reluctant to shift from the tents that were provided to them by the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).

Reports from some displaced residents who are camped in tents say they are not ready to hand over the tents and shift to permanent houses.

But Kaputa District Commissioner, Chrispine Kachusha, has, however, remained the residents to start preparing for their imminent departure from the tents.

Mr Kachusha, who addressed representatives from Chilubi village in his office yesterday, said tents should not be taken as permanent residences and that people should take it upon themselves to start building houses where they will go.

He said he will not allow people to continuously stay in tents, adding that the district disaster committee will soon set date in which people will hand over the tents.

Mr Kachusha also told the representatives that government will also not help them pay the K50 contribution for the plot and house plan which the Chief is requesting from them to be given new plots.

He said any payments for plots and fetching water from the boreholes should be the responsibility of the affected people.

He said government cannot manage to pay everything for everyone going through disasters.

But some of the representative said people are not refusing to shift but are just reluctant because the traditional leadership has advised them to build proper houses with approved plans and not huts.

The representative said it was because of this that many are having second thoughts to shift to the new land which the chief is providing them.

They explained that they were living in huts where they came from meaning that they could not manage to construct good houses and are surprised that the Chief is demanding that they construct better houses with approved plans.

But Acting Chieftainess Kaputa has maintained that the establishment will not allow people to construct huts in the area as it is just few kilometres from town.

She has, however, said that the establishment will give the residents time to construct better houses but will meanwhile allow them to construct huts so as to move from the tents.

Some 150 families of Chilubi village were displaced by the floods 30 of which are living in tents that were provided to them by DMMU.