Africa-Press – Uganda. There is a growing concern over the poor drainage system in Lira city as locals continue to witness the deteriorating status of several roads.
Poor drainage systems in urban areas have proven to have severe consequences for road infrastructure, thus causing frequent flooding, road deterioration, and increased traffic disruption.
In Lira City, roads in the areas of Teso-bar, Kirombe, and Obutuwelo are usually flooded, rendering them inaccessible to users.
The senior engineer for Lira City, Fred Owiny said flooding on roads is currently being caused by running water.
“Like near New Generation here there is a lot of water and the reason is that a private developer has already acquired ownership of the land that used to be a drainage line for storm water. That means there is no way that water can leave,” Owiny said.
Some of these roads barely take a week after repairs. The running water has since created gullies, leaving completely no space for residents to use during the rainy season.
Michael Adonyo, the proprietor of Miracle Café says businesses are sometimes forced to close.
“The roads get flooded and the roads are blocked. This has always seen businesses closing so that the road users can use the verandahs to wait as the water drains off. People come to find shelter here,” Adonyo told the Nile Post.
In the two divisions of Lira City West and East, some roads have been rendered inaccessible for motorised transport.
For instance, in the areas of Kirombe, Ober, and Obutuwelo most roads have been eaten up by the gullies.
Sarah Awor Angweri, a counselor in Lira City said there is an urgent need to address the drainage challenge in the city.
“When it rains you just pity the locals. We have a lot to do and to desilt the drainage lines that have been blocked by garbage” Awor said.
Lira City senior engineer Fred Owiny said the city is currently in the process of developing a master plan for the drainage system to reduce the effects on the roads in the city.
“We have developed a drainage master which we intend to construct these drainage channels so that deliver the storm water to where it is supposed to be.”
Owiny blames the current challenge of poor drainage on poor planning of the city center before it attained city status.
“Some areas were poorly planned. Actually, development was faster than planning at some stage. People developed those areas before they were planned and so it gave us a lot of headache. Currently, we are trying to realign.”
With the increase in paved roads and surfaces, residents fear this could turn into a threat if no urgent attention is given.
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