Bridge rehabilitation suspended

Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in North Western province has suspended the commencement of the KR 34,000 rehabilitation works on the Mudyanyama bridge in Mwinilunga district.
 
This is after a disaster monitoring satellite committee in Senior chief Kanongesha signed a petition opposing the idea by DMMU to reconstruct the bridge using wood, demanding that a concrete bridge be constructed instead.
 
DMMU Regional Coordinator Peter Kabaso confirmed the suspension of works on the bridge to ZANIS in an interview today.
 
Mr Kabaso said the DMMU had provided KR 34,000.00 for rehabilitating the wooden Mudyanyama bridge that is damaged based on the bill of quantities and proposal made by building and works department in the district.
 
However, he said the works on the bridge will not commence due to a petition by a satellite committee in Chief Kanongesha’s area demanding that DMMU constructs a concrete bridge in place of the existing wooden structure.
 
Mr Kabaso said the decision to suspend the rehabilitation works was taken to allow the DMMU to source for additional funds to build a concrete bridge to replace the existing wooden structure which has been continuously breaking apart.
 
According to the petition dated January 15, 2013 signed by Headman Ephraim Mandona and presented to Mr Kabaso, the satellite committee said the wooden bridge has within the last two years collapsed on two occasions following rehabilitation.
 
Mr Kabaso explained that his office has agreed with the petition by the satellite committee because their demand for a permanent bridge is genuine.
 
He said with the new plan to change Mudyanyama from wooden to concrete bridge, his office will need to source extra funds from the national office with some explanation about the validity of the petition received from the satellite committee.