Residents of Bukisa sub county in Sironko district are living in fear following a huge crack running for 3 kilometers tearing through ten villages.
The most affected villlages are Washango, Bumagaba, Simi, Salo, Bukilindya, Zamugogoni, Bunagudi, Zubugila, Gagali and Jamliko villages, all Bukilindye parish.
Last week, mudslides hit the same parish and affected five villages namely Bukilidye, Busiu, Nalugugu, Kilulu and Bukise.
They also buried two homes and displaced 682 households. Sam Welikhe, the LCI chairperson of Salo village, says that over 1,000 people are affected by the crack, which followed a heavy downpour in the area.
He says that several houses have also developed cracks with water gushing underneath their floors. Simon Gibune, one of the affected residents has urged the government to relocate them to a safer place to save their lives.
Yofesi Malanga, the area LC V councilor, says that as district leaders, they are disappointed that the Ministry of Disaster and Refugees has not responded to their letter about the state of affairs in their areas.
He says that the government would have responded quickly by supporting the affected people with relief items like food, source pans and iron sheets since they lost all their properties and their crops were buried.
Isaiah Sasaga Wanzira, the Bududiri East Member of parliament has since delivered some relief support to the victims including 2 tons of maize flour and 50 boxes of soap.
While delivering the relief to the landslide victims, Sasaga urged people living in ten villages where the cracks are to relocate to safer areas as they wait for a response from the government.
He faulted the government for failing to respond to the needs of the affected people despite receiving an official communication from the district disaster management team. Sasaga also noted that besides landslides and cracks resulting from the heavy downpour, most of the roads in Butandiga, Bukise, Gobe Gaswa town council, Masaba, and Buchabo Sub County are impassable yet they are a food basked for Sironko and Mbale town.
-URN
