The Ministry of Water and Sanitation through the Department of Water Resources has warned of a looming flood disaster in the Southern Region including Lower Shire districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje following heavy rains in the past four days.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation Elias Chimulambe said yesterday both Shire and Mwanza rivers in Chikwawa are experiencing high water levels due to heavy rainfall in the southern part of Malawi.

Part of a maize field destroyed by floods

He said: “The flood forecasting model for the Shire Basin indicates that water levels in the Shire River at Chikwawa Bridge and in Mwanza River at Tomali have reached the threshold value for danger warning.

“The possible areas to be affected by floods include Chambuluka Village and Bereu Trading Centre along Mwanza River and areas along the Shire River downstream of Chikwawa District.”

Chimulambe further said due to continued rains in most districts in the Southern Region which have resulted in full river courses of others such as Ruo, the floods are likely to affect Blantyre, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Thyolo and Mulanje.

The ministry has since advised communities around the mentioned areas to move uplands and the public to be alert when visiting the areas.

The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) has since said it is treating the flood warning with urgency and has standby arrangements for the deployment of a search and rescue team comprising the Malawi Defence Force, the Malawi Police Service and the Marine Department.

In an interview yesterday, Dodma spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula said they are also airing early warning messages on community and national radio stations.

Chikwawa District disaster officer Humprey Magalasi said, so far, they have not yet registered any flooding report but they are on alert.

Dodma has said about 1 900 families have been affected by rainfall-related disasters that have in 10 days killed about five people across the country.

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