Capital details cost of flood repairs

THE City of Windhoek has put aside more than N$3,3 million for repairs to roads, bridges and sewerage systems damaged during last month’s torrential rains and flooding.

The Council announced at a press conference this week that it had approved that N$1 525 000 be set aside to buy Bitumen Treated Base – special material for top layers of damaged streets, and to hire earth-moving equipment from a local construction company to do the repairs. A further N$1 107 218 was approved for building a new river crossing and the rehabilitation of a section of the pipeline between Gammams and Goreangab.When rivers came down in full flood between January 14 and 16, the level of the Goreangab Dam rose so high that the 800 mm pipe bridge between the Gammams Wastewater Care Works and the new Goreangab Reclamation Plant was washed away.As a result, most of the effluent from the Gammams Wastewater Care Works is flowing into the Goreangab Dam and the Goreangab Reclamation Plant cannot be supplied with enough water for full operation.The rains also caused considerable damage to both the existing and relief sewers in the Klein Windhoek River.According to Council minutes, approximately 2,5 kilometres of sewers and 20 manholes were damaged and washed away.The relief sewer was already being rehabilitated at the time of the rains and N$834 955 was budgeted for it of which N$416 027 was spent.Taking into account the new damage, Council put aside another N$725 752.Windhoek Mayor Matheus Shikongo said the floods were the first of the kind in the capital this century and had turned out to be “challenging and unfortunate”.”This unstoppable deluge created havoc in certain residential areas and we sympathise with those residents who suffered severe losses or injury.Sadly we lost a human being during this traumatic period and our heartfelt sympathies go, once again, to the families of the victim,” he said in his address.The Council ordered the Municipality administration to investigate whether or not the floodlines were exceeded.In terms of local authority legislation, development can only proceed if the one-to-50 year floodline [the magnitude of a flood expected to occur once in 50 years] is taken into consideration.City officials have said that the water level rose above the one-to-100 year floodline, and said it had no legal grounding to enforce constructors to adhere to this estimation.A further N$1 107 218 was approved for building a new river crossing and the rehabilitation of a section of the pipeline between Gammams and Goreangab. When rivers came down in full flood between January 14 and 16, the level of the Goreangab Dam rose so high that the 800 mm pipe bridge between the Gammams Wastewater Care Works and the new Goreangab Reclamation Plant was washed away. As a result, most of the effluent from the Gammams Wastewater Care Works is flowing into the Goreangab Dam and the Goreangab Reclamation Plant cannot be supplied with enough water for full operation. The rains also caused considerable damage to both the existing and relief sewers in the Klein Windhoek River. According to Council minutes, approximately 2,5 kilometres of sewers and 20 manholes were damaged and washed away. The relief sewer was already being rehabilitated at the time of the rains and N$834 955 was budgeted for it of which N$416 027 was spent. Taking into account the new damage, Council put aside another N$725 752. Windhoek Mayor Matheus Shikongo said the floods were the first of the kind in the capital this century and had turned out to be “challenging and unfortunate”. “This unstoppable deluge created havoc in certain residential areas and we sympathise with those residents who suffered severe losses or injury. Sadly we lost a human being during this traumatic period and our heartfelt sympathies go, once again, to the families of the victim,” he said in his address. The Council ordered the Municipality administration to investigate whether or not the floodlines were exceeded. In terms of local authority legislation, development can only proceed if the one-to-50 year floodline [the magnitude of a flood expected to occur once in 50 years] is taken into consideration. City officials have said that the water level rose above the one-to-100 year floodline, and said it had no legal grounding to enforce constructors to adhere to this estimation.