Well.....this COULD be so much B.S. But the word I got today is that the rain in Bots, Angola & Zim have been massive, and just keeps coming. A friend of mine who lives there says the water is within a couple of meters of the top of Kariba Dam, and that they are trying to get the doors open (or more open) Whatever?
Can you imagine the repercussions if the Dam failed. Holy Crap!!!!!!
Anybody know anything.....or have any projections or predictions. Also got the word that whoever built the Dam has had MOST of their other Dams fail already. I really cannot imagine the whole senairo.
Guess the water is really rolling over the falls! I'll bet the "Thunder is Tremendous"!

It has been 'about to go' on at least half a dozen previous occasions. For a geology field trip when I was at university in the early 1980's we went up to have a look at the wall. A few of us who could scuba dive, went down to have a look in the plung hole below the gates...they were pumping concrete into the hole theat year to re-inforce the wall.

Fact 1) the wall was originally designed with 4 flood gates. After the flood in '56 they did a quick re-design and put in two more gates.
2) After the flood in '57 - they said that would never happen again. (it warranted 10 flood gates)
3) they have only opened all six gates once- and that was to help finalise the sink hole in front of the gates. The engineer in charge stated that the wall couldn't withstand all gates being open for long. In reality they could open 4 fully and the outer two about hal way.
4) they have opened various gates over the years including both outer gates fully but not together.
5) The wall was designed to accomodate the fact that there is a major fault line running under the wall. It was anticipated in the design that the Zambian side would sink 50com less than the zim side when the dam filled.
6) when the dam did fill, the zim side sank 1,5m more than the zambian side. They have been adding concrete as necessary ever since to keep things stable.
7) the greatest danger to Kariba is either a flood like we had in '57 or the dam emptying again like it did in the mid 90's. The ground on the zim side rose over 1m...and cracked he wall...then it filled and everything shook itself back down (litterally, we felt the tremors in Harare), and they filled everything up with concrete again.

As an accademic exercise amongst bored students many of whom were smoking funny things we did a class exercise...if Kariba wall went, would the resulting tidal wave reach over madacascar?

Ans...if Cahora Bassa went...yes, and it would set up a 'boar' on the east side which would then trash much of the west cost of Aussie.

What do you think would happen to the wildlife down the valley....and the valley itself??

if it faliled totaly they would have to learn to swimm really fast

quote:

Originally posted by bcolyer:
What do you think would happen to the wildlife down the valley....and the valley itself??

Well, there might be a lot of new hunting ground in the Zambezi valley where Lake Kariba used to be!

Looks like the serpent Nyaminyami may have his revenge soon!

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by RBHunt:

quote:

Originally posted by bcolyer:
What do you think would happen to the wildlife down the valley....and the valley itself??

Well, there might be a lot of new hunting ground in the Zambezi valley where Lake Kariba used to be!

Or massive farmlands on the silt beds.
I would not want to be hunting the Zambezi Delta if the wall fails.

With today's technology, if the dam did fail I am sure Zimbabwe and Zambia would have a new and improved dam built in no time.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
With today's technology, if the dam did fail I am sure Zimbabwe and Zambia would have a new and improved dam built in no time.

Yeah, right!!

And who of them have the money to make it happen?

The Chinese, of course!

Guys, I was only kidding! They only have something like two of the six power generating turbines still working.


If the dam was to go the only way it would be rebuilt is if some outside power jumped in to get the job done. (China???)

Recent rumours about Kariba being overfull and in danger of collapse are nonsense

Terry began his talk by announcing that recent rumours about Lake Kariba being 110% full and in danger of collapse are nonsense. The Lake is currently 82% full (its highest this year being 83%in July 2009). Up to date information about levels and flows at Lake Kariba and elsewhere on the Zambezi River can be found on the Zambezi River Authority’s website at www.zaraho.org.zm – specifically on these links:

Lake Levels: http://www.zaraho.org.zm/lakelavel.html
River flows: http://www.zaraho.org.zm/flows.html

He affirmed that the dam is in no danger of imminent collapse. His presentation, based on a variety of sources include the Zimbabwean and Zambian power authorities, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) and a number of highly respected experts worldwide, was, he said, to dispel rumours and to assure people that Kariba Dam, throughout its 50 year history, has been regularly inspected for safety and thoroughly monitored both locally and by international consultants, who have found it to be in a very sound state.

Safety inspections & maintenance

Twice yearly inspections and surveys are carried out on Kariba Dam and every 5 years a special safety inspection is undertaken with experts from French and UK engineering companies who were involved in the original design. Other ad hoc inspections are carried out from time to time for specific reasons when required (e.g. the “plunge pool” which has been scoured out of the rock by the water flowing out of the floodgates). Records and archives for the dam dating back to its construction have been rigorously kept by these companies and there is no cause whatsoever for alarm.

Continuous annual maintenance is carried out on the dam, especially on mechanical parts such as the spill gates and stop locks.

There are literally hundreds of instruments in the wall which measure stress, any changes or movement in the wall, water pressure, drainage etc. These are continually inspected, have survived the past 50 years remarkably intact and are still functioning well. (For example, of the 263 original strain meters buried in the concrete of the dam to measure stress in three dimensions, 214 are still operating perfectly).

In 1997, the World Bank commissioned a special investigation of Kariba Dam prior to giving the go-ahead for the construction of the North Bank (Zambian) power station. A very thorough and extremely sophisticated computer-based analysis was carried out by international experts and Kariba was given a clean bill of health and declared quite safe!

Lake storage levels

The total catchment area of Lake Kariba covers some 663 000 sq kms. The biggest inflows of water occur during March/April/May at the end of the rainy season. Flows from the upper catchment in Angola/Zambia usually reach the lake later than those from the lower catchment area in Zambia/Zimbabwe because of the “sponge” effect of the Barotseland Floodplains in western Zambia which hold rainwater and release it slowly over a period of weeks. The greatest danger of massive floods is if both catchment area flows arrive in the lake at the same time.

The dam’s usual spill rate per floodgate is 1500 cubic metres per second (cumecs). At capacity each gate spills 9000 cumecs. However, the dam was constructed to withstand much greater flows than this… indeed at the height of the 1956 great flood, 16 000 cumecs were recorded! Overtopping of the dam itself, although catastrophic for downstream communities and damaging to the electrics inside the wall, would not necessarily result in collapse of the dam.

The Zambezi River Authority prefers to control the water-level to a maximum operating level of 1 metre below the roadway on top of the wall - to prevent overtopping and electrical damage. Although the dam has 6 floodgates, they prefer, for various reasons to do with stress levels and potential undercutting, to restrict the spill to 3 open floodgates. Lake levels are carefully calculated with the potential for rainy-season floods in mind, and water is deliberately drawn down from the lake from October each year in order to make sure there is enough storage capacity to cope with a big flood. Telemetry stations in the upper Zambezi catchment areas provide ZRA staff with prior warnings of a potential flood situation. However, nowadays, there is less need for dam spillage than there used to be because of increasing power generation requirements.

An operational mistake in 1997/8 resulted in a potentially dangerous situation because ZRA did not lower the lake level from October as usual. Fortunately the floods that rainy season were not huge and they were able to get away with it.

Challenges

1. The south bank of the Kariba Gorge downstream of the dam has been a problem from the time the dam was built. Although the wall is deeply imbedded into the deep-down solid natural rock of the hillside and has been heavily reinforced by buttresses, the top 30 metres of the hillside is composed of a rock which is weak and has tended to slip - a factor which was exacerbated when the hillside was saturated by rain or spray from the open floodgates. This was a potentially dangerous situation as land slippage could have blocked the dam’s underground tunnels. Various measures have been taken since 1978 to stabilize the bank and prevent slip, including the construction of drainage channels. These have been successful. Careful monitoring continues, but it appears that the bank is no longer a danger.

2. Spillway and stop beams - there is mechanical and electrical equipment involved with these, which can give trouble if not properly maintained. The dam was originally designed with just 4 spillway gates each approx. 9 sq m in size. Two more were added after the big floods of 1956 during construction of the dam. Regular testing is carried out on the gates and the hoist mechanism which lifts and closes them. Many people do not realize that the dam wall is sealed only on the downstream side, with the interior being water-filled. The presence of water can cause problems with mechanical and electrical parts and deposits on the concrete surrounding the gates sometimes needs to be removed in order for the mechanism to slide correctly. There is also a recent issue of concrete swelling (see below) which requires attention if it threatens to impede the gate mechanisms. In 1998 a complete refurbishment of the dam’s electrics was undertaken, with wire cables being replaced and a stand-by generator provided in case of power failure.

3. Concrete swelling - In the 1980s it was discovered that a chemical interaction between concrete and cement in wet conditions can result in slow, but irreversible “swelling” of the concrete used in dam building. Tests were carried out on samples of concrete from Kariba and it was discovered that the dam was indeed swelling at a small, but noticeable rate.

Extra instrumentation was installed and it has been discovered that the crest of the dam is 80mm higher today than when it was first built! Arch dams like Kariba are naturally a little flexible, and it has been noticed that when the lake levels are low, the dam moves up to 50mm upstream and then back downstream again when it fills! Furthermore, the dam now tilts slightly (about 10mm) off the vertical in an upstream direction.

One of the problems associated with this is that it can affect the spillgates, stoplocks and moveable parts. These have to be checked regularly and maintenance carried out (e.g. chipping away of concrete) to ensure that they move freely.

4. Seismic Activity (earthquakes) - A branch of Africa’s famous Rift pattern falls diagonally across the Kariba zone - so the area has some susceptibility to seismic activity. Since Lake Kariba began filling behind the dam in 1958, many seismic events have been recorded (no less than 1700 between 1959 and 1999). The biggest ones were early on, as 200 billion tons of extra load was pressed down onto the Earth by the filling waters of the lake. However, most have been very small. Since 1999 there appears to have been much less action

In 2001, a study of the Kariba area to check seismicity was undertaken by experts. Four separate seismograph stations were erected at a distance of some 20 kms away from the dam to map seismic activity, which appears to have been decreasing in recent years. No damage due to seismic activity was seen, even on the problematic South Bank.

5. The “plunge pool” (below the floodgates) - This big hole scoured into the rock downstream of the dam wall by water released from the floodgates was foreseen by the designers of the wall. Indeed, the floodgates were designed in such as way as to throw the jet of water out so that the resulting “scour” hole would not endanger the foundations of the dam.

In the first 20 years of the dam’s history, there was considerable spillage through the floodgates, which which led to the creation of the pool. Between 1982 and 2000, the floodgates were not used, due to low lake levels. Since 2000, the gates have been used very little because of power generation on both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides of the river.

Currently, engineers are concerned that the plunge pool should not be allowed to scour any deeper and that any cut-back or erosion upstream should be avoided, as this would undermine the foundations of the dam. The pool has been the subject of number inspections (some with divers) and surveys (the latest in 2001) and the profile of the pool has been fully mapped. Repairs to soft spots have been undertaken using underwater concrete. If the dam is allowed to spill in the next year, the subsequent effects on the plunge pool will be checked and restoration work will be undertaken.

6. Concrete apron at the foot of the dam - In the last 5-yearly inspection of the dam (in 2005), the concrete apron at the foot of the dam wall was raised as a point for investigation. This apron was designed to protect the dam from undercutting by any small spillage or dribbling (as opposed to full flood jets emanating from the spill gates). It is now underwater because of tailwater coming from the power generating turbines. Divers investigating its condition had previously reported that it was breaking up and some repairs with underwater concrete had been undertaken. However, these had not bonded well with the original concrete, and it was decided to undertake an investigation by drying it out and inspecting. In April 2007, over the Easter weekend, both power stations were shut down for 8 hours and the water from the bottom of the dam was removed to reveal the concrete apron. Most of the secondary concrete repairs had broken and washed away, but the original concrete, laid in 1956 was found to be in good condition after 50 years! (What the divers had seen had been the broken up remnants of the original coffer dam - nothing to do with the original apron itself!).

7. Reinforcing steel within the dam - A further concern raised by the 2005 inspection was the condition of the steel plates imbedded in the wall. Although the dam looks like solid concrete, the area around the floodgates is in fact largely solid steel plates covered over with a layer of concrete. Because of the wet conditions prevailing within the wall, there was a chance of corrosion which needed to be investigated. Inspection windows were cut into the concrete to expose the steel plates and reinforcing bars. In all cases, the steel was found to be in perfect condition! The only problem that faced the investigating teams was to ensure that the concrete used to close up the inspection windows was made to a similar strength as that used originally in 1956!

The examples above were given to show the extent to which the authorities ensure that maintenance and corrective measures are undertaken to protect the dam and ensure its safety.

Summary of possible threats

- Ageing and corrosion. There are many examples of dams which have existed for hundreds of years. The evidence from inspections so far indicate that Kariba dam is remarkably free of corrosion and is ageing extremely well

- Overtopping. If this were to occur, it would cause damage and chaos downstream, but it would not necessarily cause the dam to collapse

- Undermining of the foundations. This is a real threat, but, as outlined above, regular inspections and protective measures and maintenance ensure that the likelihood of this happening is reduced.

- Swelling of concrete. This is being carefully monitored and corrective measures taken.

- Earthquake. A very big earthquake could affect the dam. But it has been designed to withstand such an event. Most of the seismic events recorded have been small and the indications are that activity has decreased in recent years.

Funding and personnel

The costs of maintaining the dam wall are born by the governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia through the Zambezi River Authority. There are challenges. But some 5 years ago, because of the declining economic situation in Zimbabwe, the Authority was authorized to generate its own funds by charging the National power authorities in foreign currency for use of the water passing through their turbines for the production of electricity. This has enabled the costs of maintenance to be covered without being adversely affected by the decline of the Zimbabwe dollar.

The safety of Kariba dam ultimately depends on people. In the 2005 report on Kariba Dam, the expert consultants wrote this paragraph about the numerous staff responsible for the dam:

“In the consultants’ very wide experience of other dams in many countries, it is rare to find such an experienced, stable, dedicated, friendly and unified team”.
The Zambezi Society has compiled this summary for wide dissemination so that such interesting and reassuring information can be in the public domain. We would like to thank Terry Kabell and salute him and the dedicated staff who work to keep Kariba dam safe and generating our power!

Obama would provide the funds in a heart beat! This would be treated like a earthquake etc and the funds would pour from the USA as fast as the flood waters thru the dam.

Martin,

Thanks for such a detailed response. I hope all you have related is true in practice. No corrosion of the steel plates after all these years seems a little suspect but I wasn't there!

Thanks again.

Martin: Thank you very much for the excellent reply. And....thank you for the web site that we might refer to.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
As an accademic exercise amongst bored students many of whom were smoking funny things we did a class exercise...if Kariba wall went, would the resulting tidal wave reach over madacascar?

Ans...if Cahora Bassa went...yes, and it would set up a 'boar' on the east side which would then trash much of the west cost of Aussie.

I guess this is academic to most - but my butt and a whole lot of kit is in the firing line some of the time down in the Zambezi delta!

Ganyana, did you guys speculate/calculate how long it would take to reach the sea and how much the river would rise when it did? That is, when one or both dams broke - as I can't see Cahorra Bassa holding up to that lot having been at the dam wall in the gorge at Cahorra Bassa!

Martin.


Excellent. Thank you for the time you spent on your very good and detailed posting.

quote:

Originally posted by Bahati:

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
As an accademic exercise amongst bored students many of whom were smoking funny things we did a class exercise...if Kariba wall went, would the resulting tidal wave reach over madacascar?

Ans...if Cahora Bassa went...yes, and it would set up a 'boar' on the east side which would then trash much of the west cost of Aussie.

I guess this is academic to most - but my butt and a whole lot of kit is in the firing line some of the time down in the Zambezi delta!

Ganyana, did you guys speculate/calculate how long it would take to reach the sea and how much the river would rise when it did? That is, when one or both dams broke - as I can't see Cahorra Bassa holding up to that lot having been at the dam wall in the gorge at Cahorra Bassa!

Johan don’t know how long it takes from Kariba but Cahora Bassa till the delta 36-48 hrs max!

3 days from Kariba to Cahora bassa. Interesting side note, Cabora Bassa wall was designed to take water flowing over the top to a depth of 4m- reason? Well the lad who designed Kariba designed 6 major dams arround the world and three of them had burst by the time Cabora Bassa was built, (he commited suicide over the one n S America) so it was considered a possibility...of course they hoped that kariba could be partially drained by wise management before the wall went...

The Rhodesians considered blowing up the Luangwa dam, but the south Africans were not sure cabora Bassa would take it, so vetoed that plan (as at the time 100% of the power went to SA)

Martin- just think of all that grassland for the buffalo to graze on!it would double the size of your concession!

Wild cheers as floodgates open

Chinhoyi Bureau
March 10, 2010

HUNDREDS of people thronged the Kariba Dam wall yesterday to witness the opening of the floodgates — a spectacle that was last seen in February 2008.

Increasing water volumes in Kariba Dam that led to water throwback necessitated the gates’ opening.

The water volume has risen due to persistent heavy rains in the Zambezi River basin.

The Zambezi River Authority last week issued warnings of possible flooding in low-lying areas after it became apparent that the water level was rising rapidly.

The Meteorological Services Department has also issued a flood warning after forecasting more rains.

ZRA yesterday opened two floodgates, allowing thousands of gallons of water into the Zambezi River in a spectacle that was watched on both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides of the dam.

The expectant crowd let out wild cheers as the water gushed through the gates. The opening of the floodgates has always drawn tourists who are fascinated by the roaring sound of the water as it plunges nearly 100 metres down into the Zambezi River.

In a statement yesterday, ZRA warned communities living on the banks of the Zambezi such as Muzarabani to take precautions and move from low-lying areas to avoid loss of life and property.

"The general public and communities living along the Zambezi River banks are kindly advised to take this notice seriously to avoid loss of life and property due to possible flooding," reads the statement.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Wild cheers as floodgates open

Chinhoyi Bureau
March 10, 2010

HUNDREDS of people thronged the Kariba Dam wall yesterday to witness the opening of the floodgates — a spectacle that was last seen in February 2008.

Increasing water volumes in Kariba Dam that led to water throwback necessitated the gates’ opening.

The water volume has risen due to persistent heavy rains in the Zambezi River basin.

The Zambezi River Authority last week issued warnings of possible flooding in low-lying areas after it became apparent that the water level was rising rapidly.

The Meteorological Services Department has also issued a flood warning after forecasting more rains.

ZRA yesterday opened two floodgates, allowing thousands of gallons of water into the Zambezi River in a spectacle that was watched on both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides of the dam.

The expectant crowd let out wild cheers as the water gushed through the gates. The opening of the floodgates has always drawn tourists who are fascinated by the roaring sound of the water as it plunges nearly 100 metres down into the Zambezi River.

In a statement yesterday, ZRA warned communities living on the banks of the Zambezi such as Muzarabani to take precautions and move from low-lying areas to avoid loss of life and property.

"The general public and communities living along the Zambezi River banks are kindly advised to take this notice seriously to avoid loss of life and property due to possible flooding," reads the statement.

There you go Johan, pack or swim. Them flat dogs could be cruising around your tents in a while.

Flooding Worsening on the Zambezi
11 March 2010



Maputo — As flooding worsens in the Zambezi valley, three districts - Mutarara in Tete Province, Tambara in Manica, and Chemba in Sofala - have been cut off, and can no longer be reached overland.

At the mouth of the Zambezi, in Chinde district, the locality of Nhamatanga has been inundated and a group of 744 people are surrounded by the rising waters, and in need of rescue, reports Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".

It is feared that the situation will worsen with the opening of flood gates on the Kariba dam in Zambia. This will greatly increase the amount of water entering the Cahora Bassa lake in Tete, forcing the administration of the Cahora Bassa dam to increase its discharges.

As of Wednesday morning, the dam was discharging 4,736 cubic metres a second. This compares with just 2,486 cubic metres a second a week earlier.

A note from the Mozambique Red Cross (CVM) calls on the authorities top make "precautionary measures" to save lives in the Zambezi valley. The CVM has mobilized volunteers to assist in rescue operations in the Zambezi valley, and further south in the Pungue valley.

On Wednesday, the chief of staff of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), Paulino Macaringue, and a government team flew to the flood affected areas to coordinate the rescue work. They overflew the Zambezi, Pungue, Buzi and Lucite valleys.


The Pungue river is no longer rising, but its flood waters still cover a ten kilometre stretch of the Beira-Zimbabwe road, between Mutua and Tica. Only trucks and four wheel drive vehicles with high suspension are allowed to use this stretch of the road - and only by day, and under police escort.

Large amounts of agricultural land have been flooded, particularly along the banks of the Zambezi, causing serious losses to peasant farmers. Luis Pacheco, the Sofala delegate of the country's relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC), told the independent daily "O Pais" that up until the last couple of weeks the main problem farmers in Sofala had faced was drought.

"Because of the drought that has assailed Sofala, many households returned to areas of risk - to the banks of the rivers in search of fertile areas for food production", he said. "These areas are now completely inundated".

Keep your eye out for those two Zambian MIG's...
Omay could have Zim's version of the Serengeti Plains?

Floods leave over 80 Kanyemba families stranded

By Felex Share recently in Kanyemba

From The Herald
March 13, 2010

More than 80 families in Kanyemba, Mbire District are stranded after floods hit the area and destroyed their homes, crops and other property following heavy rains in Zambia on Thursday last week.

Large swathes of cropland were submerged by the deluge, leaving the community in urgent need of food aid.

The flooding is a regular occurrence and authorities have been battling for years to come up with a solution to help the perennially affected people of Kanyemba.

The people inhabit rocky areas not suitable for agriculture and use the plains for agriculture.

They go to the low-lying areas in search of fertile soils where they practice shifting cultivation.

The Civil Protection Unit has provided tents for flood victims.

Tributaries that feed into the Zambezi River had throwbacks after the rains resulting in flooding of the plains.

Speaking after a tour of the affected area by the CPU, Mbire district administrator Mr Richard Chipfuva said the opening of two floodgates at Kariba Dam could worsen the situation.

The floodgates were opened on Tuesday and water levels in the Zambezi River have risen significantly.

"The situation is terrible and the people are in need of shelter and food.

"We don’t have enough facilities and people are still leaving in fear after Kariba Dam floodgates were opened."

He said some people survived by seeking refuge in trees.

The victims were rescued by boats from Kanyemba Police and officials from Zambia’s Luangwa Rural Council.

CPU director Mr Madzudzo Pawadyira urged the people to move to higher ground.

He said Government was mobilising resources to assist the affected families.

The Grain Marketing Board, he said, had availed 60 tonnes of maize for victims while the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society donated 300 blankets.

"We are monitoring the situation but we urge people to move to higher ground to avoid more casualties. We are however appealing for more donations, which would help in rebuilding their homes," he said.

Mr Samuel Mutashu, a flood victim, said his family was stranded and had nowhere to sleep.

"We are living in a tent and the situation is critical and unhealthy. We are now afraid of disease outbreaks but we have nowhere to go or anything to eat," he said.

Councillor Christmas Kachasu explained: "Although they will be risking their lives, the villagers have got no option but to farm in those areas as there is nowhere else to grow their crops."

The Meteorological Services Department and CPU warned people in low-lying areas to move to higher ground and avoid being caught in the floods.

Thank you Kathi for the news updates...and Thank you Pete for the video. Man....that is some kind of water flow going downstream.

I wonder if the high water is or will affect HHK Safaris fishing camp on Kanyemba Island.

465H&H

Zambia: Spill Gates Havoc
12 April 2010


THE opening of water spill way gates on Kariba Dam has caused severe damage to crops and the situation will cause severe hunger in Chiawa chiefdom.

The speedy water flow has resulted in flooding of Zambezi River making an impediment to fishing due to strong water current.

Other affected areas include damage to crops, gardens, animal grazing areas and several houses built on that riverbank

A check at Chiawa Basic School revealed that the water level had expanded covering more than 40 meters from the main Zambezi river bank and threatening lives of pupils and residents.

Several residents said the opening of spill gates had also forced wild animals like crocodiles and hippos getting closer to villages such that there was an increased human-animal conflict.

MMD Kafue District chairperson Goodson Sansakuwa appealed to the Ministry of Tourism to consider putting electric wire fences in prone areas where animals were found.

Mr Sansakuwa said people in the chiefdom would experience hunger because several of their crop fields were submerged by rising water and appealed for relief food.

He also called on the Government to deploy officers to enable residents acquire the National Registration Cards (NRC) and participate in 2011 elections.


Chieftainess Chiawa senior advisor Maxwell Syamalimba appealed for health personnel at Chiawa Health Centre saying there was one clinical officer and nobody attended to patients if he went out.

MMD Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda assured the people of Government's assistance.

He would take every issue raised by residents to relevant ministries.

He said he would discuss with Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani, Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao, Education Minister Dora Siliya, Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti and Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala on how best the residents could be assisted on issues raised.