Dar es Salaam. Rains yesterday flooded many parts of Dar es Salaam, inconveniencing residents and bringing economic activities to a standstill in some areas.
Poor drainage in the city of close to 5 million people was once again evident as many roads were flooded to the extent of being impassable.
Houses in low-lying areas were also flooded and people were seen frantically savaging furniture and other household items. Many people vacated their houses after they were rendered uninhabitable.
Most bus rapid transit terminals were packed with commuters waiting for buses and people who were seeking shelter from the rain.
A section of the usually busy Mwai Kibaki Road between Mayfair Plaza and Mwalimu Nyerere’s residence was flooded to the point of being impassable. Business premises and residential buildings in the area were also surrounded by several feet of water.
“People can’t leave their homes because the whole area is filled with water...it’s terrible,” a resident of Mikocheni ‘A’, Mr Jonathan Macha, told The Citizen.
There was a massive traffic jam on the section of Ali Hassan Mwinyi road between Mwenge and Sayansi as motorists drove cautiously in the rain while pedestrians waded in knee-deep water, many with their shoes in their hands.
It took motorists 30 minutes to cover the three-kilometre stretch.
“It’s really bad for all those who are out and about regardless of whether they are riding in vehicles or walking...they are all inconvenienced,” said Ms Imani Majani, a resident of Mwenge. Many commuter buses operating in the city had to pass on alternative routes as their usual routes were flooded. Queues of daladalas were seen at various terminals as crews waited for commuters who were nowhere to be seen. Some crews opted to take their buses off the road altogether, saying there was no point in operating in such foul weather.
“Road conditions are really treacherous and to make matters worse, there are no commuters to board buses. It’s impossible to work today,” a downcast daladala driver was overheard saying.
Bodaboda operators also had to contend with an acute shortage of customers for obvious reasons.
However, it was not all doom and gloom as some enterprising souls made a killing, hoping that rains would continue to pound the city in the foreseeable future.
Young men were seen in various parts of the city peddling umbrellas which sold like hot cakes despite being offered for sale at highly inflated prices of between Sh7,000 and Sh10,000, up from their usual price of Sh3,000 apiece. Other youths just waited patiently for vehicles to stall on flooded roads so that they could push them out for a fee.
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