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  • 5 months ago
Despite warnings from the government and other officials, telling motorists not to venture through flooded areas, there are people who pay no heed to these warnings.

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen says, authorities have now resorted to barricading flooded areas, to prevent people from not only risking their own lives, but the lives of others as well.

Alicia Boucher tells us more.
Transcript
00:00In August of 2022, 40-year-old Anon Boise died tragically. He was driving through a flooded
00:06area of the M1 Ring Road when his 4x4 pickup was swept into a water channel due to strong
00:13undercurrents. In April 2023, a family of three narrowly escaped the same fate after they decided
00:20to drive through a flooded area along the eastern main road in Sangre Chiquito. The only thing that
00:26saved them was a guardrail which stopped their vehicle. Despite what might seem stark reminders
00:31about the unpredictability of floodwaters, there are still people taking chances. It was evident
00:37during the recent adverse weather event where the Karani River overflowed its banks and three
00:43vehicles became submerged. A search was on for the driver of one of the vehicles stranded on
00:49Tranquil Road. Luckily, he was later found to be alive and unharmed. Local government minister
00:56Khadija Amin says these situations cause a pulling of resources from areas that really
01:01need it. We had to pull resources from other parts of the area, people who were dealing with
01:06fallen trees, landslips, flooding, evacuating people, and dispatch personnel, emergency vehicles
01:14to that area. We are reminding the public to not drive in floodwater. But the authorities have
01:21had to go a step further as their calls seem to sometimes fall on deaf ears.
01:27We have engaged the TGPS and municipal police with regards to putting barrications. However,
01:35if you choose ignorance, remember that you are not putting yourself at risk. You are putting
01:42everyone else who is part of our operation and our relief at risk. People have also been tampering
01:49with barriers. They remove the barriers. They drive around the barriers. They move the barriers
01:56one side to make space to drive. They steal the barriers completely.
02:01The minister is asking for the cooperation of members of the public, saying that once barriers
02:06are erected, they are there for a reason. More resources have also been geared towards barrier
02:13reinforcement amid the challenges stated by Amin.
02:16Even if you feel that the water has gone down, and you feel it's safe, do not remove our barriers.
02:24We have resorted to, instead of using the steel barriers, the metal barriers, which are a little easier
02:31to lift. We now have to use concrete barriers in some places. It requires trucks and equipment
02:37to lift those heavy concrete barriers. So, I would really prefer if we could continue to use our metal
02:46barriers that is easier to put down and remove by the authorities. So, I'm asking members of the
02:53public, do not remove barriers when you see them across flooded roads.
02:59Amin says at night, the concrete barriers also pose a safety threat. The ministry is looking at it
03:05with the possibility of attaching reflectors to them. Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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