NYABIHU - Thirty seven more families have been left homeless in the flood prone Bigogwe Sector of the Nyabihu District in the Western Province. Last week, devastating floods and landslides wreaked havoc in this part of the country killing about 15 people and leaving 562 families displaced.

According to the Mayor of Nyabihu District Charles Ngirabatware, 32 houses were washed way in Jenda sector and other five houses in Mukamira sector following Tuesday night heavy downpour.

The mayor said that all residents from the affected areas will be re-settled in safer parts of the same sector.

"All residents within affected areas will be re-settled in Kijote Cell whether their houses have been destroyed or not,” he said.

Ngirabatware said that the displaced people will be provided with temporally shelters like plastic tarpaulin tents but plans are underway to construct permanent settlements locally known as Imidugugu in the Kijote cell.

Affected sectors include Bigogwe, Jenda and Mukamira in Nyabihu District and Kazenze in Rubavu District all in the Western Province.

Bigogwe Sector is a flood prone area due to various human activities especially deforestation of Gishwati forest which, according to studies, was cleared up to 98 percent.

The natural resource was cleared in search for agricultural land, settlement and pasture among other reasons, despite government’s continued efforts to recover and restore natural resources.
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