GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Garden Route Disaster Management Centre (GRDMC) is in the process of preparing a request to the Western Cape Cabinet for reprioritisation of provincial funding, and to the National Treasury for disaster grant funding, in order to assist with rehabilitation efforts following the devastating storms in May.
According to a report tabled to the Garden Route District Council on Wednesday 27 May, the GRDMC has called for damage assessments from local municipalities, CapeNature, SANParks and various government departments, which will be included in the submission to the Cabinet and Treasury.
A damage verification process by professional service providers, appointed by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), will follow once the request has been submitted.
The district was recently affected by two separate weather events. The low cut-off system that impacted the district between 6 and 8 May was declared a national disaster on 9 May. It impacted several other provinces as well. The NDMC also issued a disaster declaration of the second severe weather event - the gale-force winds on 11 May that caused severe damage.
Efforts to restore the damage and clear the debris up are continuing, and there is daily communication among the authorities to ensure that the momentum of actions is maintained. The GRDMC, affected local municipalities, Western Cape Department of Infrastructure (DoI) and Eskom are co-ordinating their efforts.
Following the damaging storms in May, emergency repairs have been done at all hours. The rehabilitation efforts continue. Photo: George Municipality
Current challenges
The report says delays in restoring Eskom power connections are one of the challenges authorities face. Access routes to affected infrastructure are still too wet. In some areas where power outages persist, secondary food and waterborne illness are a concern. Cable theft is also impacting the restoration efforts.
High river water levels are also hampering access to broken Eskom lines and repairs to roads in some areas. Pollution is taking place due to some flooded sewage pump stations where repairs are still being done.
There are also major implications for tourism due to the road to the Cango Caves still being closed. Meiringspoort, Seweweekspoort and the Swartberg Pass also remain closed.
Furthermore, emergency medical services from the Western Cape must handle medical emergencies from Misgund, Krakeel and Louterwater because of the R62 at Joubertinia also still being closed.
Thousands of uprooted trees still need to be removed, and debris that washed up on especially the Witsand and Gouritz beaches has to be cleared. Water supply to Knysna and Bito also remains challenging, despite the power having been restored to the pumping systems from the Akkerkloof Dam.
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