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Counting the cost of floods

WATERLOGGED: Floods ravaged parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo last week, causing hundreds of millions of rands of damage. photos: RAYMOND PRESTON
WATERLOGGED: Floods ravaged parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo last week, causing hundreds of millions of rands of damage. photos: RAYMOND PRESTON

SIX people have died and 1,452 houses damaged in the recent floods that ravaged Mpumalanga, the provincial government says.

The cooperative governance department said after the floods, a joint operation committee involving the department and all four municipalities falling under the eHlanzeni district, was established to compile a comprehensive report.

Heavy rains in the area last week affected river flows and dam levels, which resulted in localised flooding and the closure of low-lying bridges and roads.

Department spokesman Simphiwe Kunene said their findings showed that 1452 houses were damaged, 330 of those severely.

The assessment report indicated that a total of 118 schools were inaccessible, while 111 schools had been damaged as a result of heavy rains and floods.

The public works department and the affected municipalities have begun clearing the access roads to schools.

Kunene said the education department would provide mobile classrooms to affected schools.

"We are still verifying these numbers, the cost of the damage and determining the type of intervention for the affected schools," he said.

The human settlements department will conduct an assessment of the damaged houses to determine what assistance can be provided to the affected households through the emergency disaster housing fund.

The department of health is monitoring the situation for any outbreaks of waterborne diseases in all municipalities and residents are being advised on health promotion measures.

Clinics that were affected by waterlogging at their entrances are now accessible after being cleared.

A total of 112 sites have been affected by infrastructural damage to bridges, culverts, patching, slip failure, erosion and re-graveling. The public works department has started repairing these.

Kunene said water levels in the rivers and dams had decreased, but communities were warned that the levels still remain dangerous and they should avoid crossing these rivers.

Relief aid in the form of food parcels, blankets and tents have been delivered to all affected households in the eHlanzeni district.

Tankers were supplying water to areas that experienced a shortage . Kunene said this water was for free and that community members should not be made to pay for it.

All municipalities, through their joint operation committees, have developed intervention plans to further deal with all challenges created by the floods.

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre is in contact with the National Disaster Management Centre regarding the declaration of disaster and interventions.

The South African Weather Service has issued a warning of more heavy rains from tomorrow.

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