Pretoria - The South African government is intensifying its flood relief efforts by putting aside R20 million to rebuild the country's infrastructure and offer assistance to households ravaged by the ongoing flash floods.
Water and Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, on Wednesday said her department had set aside the money from the Minister's Discretionary Fund.
Molewa expressed her sincere condolences to the families of people who died as a result of the mayhem caused by the heavy rainfall.
The department has in the meantime conducted a national assessment of the state of water-related infrastructure. This was with particular emphasis on water treatment works that have been flooded and are likely to threaten the quality of water.
In Limpopo, bridges have been washed away, which has led to water pipelines collapsing and cutting water supply to communities.
The interventions will prioritise communities that have been left without a safe water supply and may end up using raw, untreated water from the rivers.
In these areas, most of which are in KwaZulu-Natal, the department will ensure the availability of potable water through tankering and also the installation of rainwater tanks.
The department will also assess and cost the damage to its own infrastructure, mainly water and dam monitoring equipment that could be damaged or even uprooted.
Teams of specialists are already in the different regions to do assessments in order to ensure that its work is not compromised.
In the North West, the department is currently rehabilitating the Klein Maricopoort Dam near Zeerust, which includes extending the spillway of the dam. In order to do this, a major part of the existing spillway was removed and a temporary coffer dam was built to safeguard the construction area.
With the heavy rains, the dam level has risen substantially to the extent that the coffer dam wall is on the verge of being overtopped. Rehabilitation started in August 2009 and is expected to be completed in May 2011.
The work on the spillway is 60 percent complete and all exposed foundations have been covered with concrete. The Klein Maricopoort Dam itself is safe and stable.
The department has, however, already implemented the Emergency Preparedness Plan for the dam and the Local Municipality's Disaster Manager has been alerted due to the fact that the coffer dam is in danger of being washed away.
All affected residents downstream from Klein Maricopoort Dam to Kromellenboog Dam have been informed about the level of the dam and will be kept updated on any risk of flooding.
The department has also brought in the water boards, which are already on the ground in the areas where they give services. The boards will bring in their resources and expertise to help in stabilising the situation. Where the boards operate in the different provinces, assessments have already begun.
"The current floods have also created conditions that are conducive to the possibility of water-borne diseases like cholera ... and animal diseases like rift valley fever, which we will work together with colleagues from Agriculture to manage," she said.
The department has already started working on anti-cholera campaigns, educating communities on water safety and ways of treating water in cases where they have to use untreated water.
Molewa said the department was working very closely with departments like health and agriculture within the National Disaster Management Committee in finding solutions.
The public is encouraged to take normal precautions when using water from rivers and streams in affected areas. The vaccination of livestock will also be critical. More awareness campaigns can be expected to alert the nation to the dangers that come with flooding, and in its aftermath.
