GOVERNMENT has advised engineers to monitor its projects at all stages in construction.
Northern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Beauty Undi-Phiri says there is a need for engineers entrusted with government projects to ensure consistent monitoring at every stage to avoid structures being easily damaged.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Ms Undi-Phiri has observed that the northern province receives heavy rains adding that there is a need for engineers in the area to ensure close supervision and the use of the right materials in construction.
“Northern Province receives a lot of rain and usually these are heavy downpours characterised by strong winds, we need to monitor projects, engineers need to ensure right materials are used and also designs that can withstand the effects of climate change,” she observed.
She has since urged the Engineering Institute of Zambia and all engineers to take an active role in overseeing projects, saying the quality and design of buildings falls under their expertise.
“There is a point where we need to emphasize what kind of materials we need to use, Engineers should be able to monitor projects as soon as they begin to rise. All engineers, regardless of the sectors they are in, be it education, local government should take keen interest and not wait until there is a disaster,” she said.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary also cited the lack of windbreakers around buildings as a major challenge.
“But again as we look at ways of making our building suited for the weather changes we also need to look how to protect our buildings, there are no wind breakers in most our building, for instance, nine schools and a clinic in Nsenga Hill District, were affected because the classroom blocks were constructed in an areas with no windbreakers,” she said.
She has further noted the type of materials used in construction, especially at household level, as a contributing factor to structure to community structures being easily damaged.
“The biggest challenge especially in communities is the type of materials people use, most of our people have no capacity to use material like cement, while the roofing sheets they use are those that can easily be blown off by the winds,” she said.
Since the onset of the rains, the region has experienced disasters with the latest being in Chilubi where over 30 houses had their roofs blown off while public infrastructure like schools, and staff houses were also damaged.
