Africa-Press – Tanzania. INSPECTIONS of buildings and transport facilities; preparation of evacuation plans, emergency exits and assembling points are among Zanzibar’s strategies to counter the effects of natural calamities.
Minister of State in the Second Vice-President’s Office, Policy, Coordination and House of Representatives Dr Khalid Salum Mohamed told the House here yesterday that his office has introduced procedures to give early warnings to the community through mobile phones.
Answering a question by Mtambwe Representative, Habibu Ali Muhamed, who wanted to know the government strategy against natural tragedies like earthquakes, Dr Khalid said the government has been through special meetings and social networks enlightening wananchi on how to mitigate the effects of tremors and other calamities.
The minister described earthquake as one of the natural disasters that can strike anywhere and anytime, saying: “Usually, no human being can control them; we can only mitigate their effects.”
He said through close cooperation with Tanzania Meteorological Authority’s (TMA) Zanzibar office and Zanzibar Maritime Agency (ZMA), the government has been issuing early warnings to reduce the impacts of natural calamities, including tremors.
Minister Khalid said Zanzibar remains unsecure from the effects of natural disasters, hinting that the government through the public service regulations of 2014 has made it compulsory for all public institutions to incorporate disaster mitigation in their plans and budgets.
