by Staff Reporter

Government has started evacuating people from Chimanimani and Chipinge Districts of Manicaland Province who are at risk of being affected by Tropical Storm Chalane which is expected to hit the Province today.

Minutes of the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) meeting held in Chipinge yesterday, showed that various centres has been established to accommodate people who are being evacuated from their homes because of the expected storm.

Yesterday, the Government’s emergency operations provided buses, lorries and tractors to ferry affected people to these safe places.

While no compulsory general evacuation orders have been considered necessary, several Zupco buses, tractors and lorries have been deployed to Manicaland to evacuate families that have seen flooding around their homes in the past to the 464 centres identified to house people at risk of mudslides, landslides, flash floods and collapse of walls.

The evacuations are being done in strict observance of COVID-19 protocols including temperature screening; sanitisation and wearing of face masks, to avoid causing another potential disaster in relation to the pandemic.

In a statement, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) said they expect the Tropical Storm Chalene (which is now an overland tropical depression) to hit Manicaland Province today and urged people to keep their emergency kits close by and to monitor their surroundings.

“The former Tropical Storm Chalane made a landfall over Beira in early hours of today,Wednesady 30 December 2020 and is expected to  rapidly dissipate, with wind reducing from the current 50 knots to 25 knots, as it tracks westwards over the rugged hills of Manicaland Province in the next 12 hours.

“However the extent of the cloud bands has already begun giving continuous light rain over the Eastern Highlands, with localized heavier down pours in excess of 50 millimeters accumulation over the next 24 hours projected especially over high ground,” said MSD in a statement.

MSD further informed people that mudslides, and landslides as well as collapse of walls due to moisture remain possible and urged them to be cautious and report all emergencies to the CPU in time.

Last year. Manicaland Province was again affected by the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai, which left a trail of destruction and took lives of many people and livestock.