Opinion: Make use of the rains

For a county government that has fallen short of meeting the water needs of Nairobi residents, plans must be put in place to harvest rain water.PHOTO:COURTESY

The weatherman predicts the long rains will start this week. After the dry spell that has led to crop failure and water shortages in most parts of the country, this prediction is welcome.

But the onset of rains induces an amount of fear in city dwellers, especially in areas prone to floods where loss of property and lives occur.

Nairobi County has identified flood-prone areas and set in motion plans to clear drainages to guarantee the free flow of water running through the open and closed drainage systems. Already, the county government is said to have cleared several kilometres of clogged drainage.

Blocked drainage pipes continue to be a major headache for the county government, but residents must play their part by restraining themselves from contributing to the clogging through careless disposal of, especially, plastic bags and bottles.

It behoves the county government to also ensure natural waterways and riparian land remain free of encumbrances to allow free flow of excess rain water.

More importantly, for a county government that has fallen short of meeting the water needs of Nairobi residents, plans must be put in place to harvest rain water. Supplying residents with big containers for this undertaking would be a good starting point.