Vaal Dam floodgates remain open amid heavy rains
The Department of Water and Sanitation has urged communities along the Vaal and Orange Rivers to move to high lying areas due to the continuous rain across the country.
It has had to increase the water release, causing rivers to overflow and dams to spill.
The department says the outflow at the Bloemhof Dam has had to be increased to 3000 cubic metres per second.
“All residents of settlements and in towns along the banks of the Lower Vaal and Lower Orange Rivers should consider evacuating or moving to higher places that are at least above the one in 20-year flood line, a level at which people would likely be safer to be reached by water emanating from the releases," says Water and Sanitation spokesperson Wisane Mavasa.
“These communities should refer to municipal development plans, Local Authorities and Disaster Management Agencies for locations of these flood lines.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation appeals to all communities along the Vaal and Orange Rivers, especially those along the banks of lower Vaal and Lower Orange Rivers to remain vigilant of possible flooding and to consider evacuating and move to high lying areas as water levels rise.”
The department has also urged farmers to remove livestock away from the riverbanks.
“The Vaal and Orange River System is experiencing rapid rising water levels due to the heavy rains and the department continues to assess and implement measures to mitigate effects of these floods on its infrastructure and guarantee full capacity on its storage reservoirs after the rainfall season," says Mavasa.
“The department further urge farmers to remove livestock, movable properties and equipment out and away from the riverbanks, and to the general community to avoid any activity that may put their lives in harm's way.
“To acquire reliable information about prevailing flooding status, the department has in place flood monitoring and forecasting systems that provides real-time data on rainfall, river and dam level."
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