The flooding on the arterial road has created significant challenges for local residents in terms of transportation. Families are unable to conduct timely burials, and farmers struggle to take livestock to auctions. Essential services like bread delivery from bakeries are disrupted, showcasing a wider impact on the community's livelihood.
Local taxi drivers have reported financial losses due to the deterioration of road conditions. The costs associated with vehicle repairs and losses from missed service opportunities are mounting, with one driver estimating losses of about 15,000 per month. This repeated cycle of flooding and vehicle maintenance raises concerns for many operators.
In light of ongoing flooding challenges, the government plans to assess the damaged roads with engineering assistance. The Roads Infrastructure Unit will conduct this evaluation to determine how to address the extensive road issues that plague the province. The situation has drawn urgent attention from provincial leaders, indicating a step towards potential improvements.
The gravel arterial road connecting several villages, including Karana, has become increasingly prone to flooding during the rainy season, severely disrupting local transportation and community activities. Recent heavy rains have caused localized flooding, preventing vehicles from effectively delivering goods, and causing significant delays for families conducting burials. Local communities have expressed their frustrations, highlighting that when it rains, they often have to wait for up to two to three weeks before being able to transport livestock to auctions, with broader implications for community welfare as bakeries struggle to deliver essentials such as bread. In addition to transportation issues, taxi operators have reported substantial financial losses due to the road conditions. One driver noted that they lose almost 15,000 per month in repairs and compensations caused by the road's flooding nature. Despite multiple promises from provincial leaders to repair the road over the years, communities feel frustrated and neglected, having been sent "from pillar to post." The D32 road's poor condition contributes to a larger backlog of nearly 14,000 kilometers of roads across the province known to suffer from similar flooding problems. In response to the growing crisis, the provincial government is taking action to assess the damage caused by recent natural disasters. The Roads Infrastructure Unit, along with engineers from the Roads Agency, will evaluate the extent of flooding on the D32 road. This assessment is crucial, especially given the alarming instances reported of drowning incidents among children throughout the region, which raise significant concerns for residents as they cope with the aftermath of these adverse weather conditions. Premier Dr. is leading the attention towards resolving these infrastructural challenges, indicating that the situation remains a top priority for local authorities.Build dams to harvest and store the water and use the water later when there is drought