Long-awaited report gives no clear answers on Mariental flooding

THE future of Mariental remains uncertain, after a meeting between the Mariental Flood Task Force (MFTF) and local residents and businesses aimed at finding a lasting solution to the town’s flooding problem ended inconclusively on Wednesday.

At the meeting, the Task Force presented a long-awaited report on how to deal with the town’s flooding problem. However, residents and businesspeople – who expressed anxiety about the prospects of yet another flood this rainy season – were not happy with the MFTF proposals and the participants failed to find common ground.The first flooding of the southern town occurred in 1972 when the Hardap Dam sluices were opened fully, 10 years after the dam was built in 1962.Floods occurred again in 1974, 1976, 2000 and 2006.The Task Force recommendations included: increasing the Hardap Dam’s spillway capacity, increasing the capacity of the dam and its flow capacity channel, relocating all property west of the B1 road, constructing dikes (dam walls) along the river bank, and relocating all property west of the railway line.The recommendations also include the construction of dikes along irrigation schemes, construction of dikes to protect flooding from the Sandberg River and backflows from the Fish River, draining of internal storm waters, re-routing the B1 road east of Mariental or alternatively raising the railway line to serve as a dike.It emerged at the meeting that the Task Force felt the best option was to increase the capacity of the dam and its flow capacity channel.The latter option, estimated to cost N$322 million, will entail raising the dam wall by 10,4 metres, raising embankments, clearing reeds from the riverbed downstream of the dam wall, and increasing the spillway capacity by 70 per cent.This option would increase the riverbed’s water capacity to 1 400 cubic metres from the current 500 cubic metres.However, the townspeople feel that the reeds in the riverbed are the main cause of flooding and that the riverbed should be cleaned, widened and deepened to increase its water capacity to at least 5 000 cubic metres.The majority of the residents and businesspeople at the meeting supported the latter proposal.After the Hardap Dam was completed in 1962, a study compiled by the Department of Water Affairs indicated that reeds could have an impact on the water flow.Failure by the consultants to give a clear indication when action will be taken to implement any selected option also sparked anger among the townspeople.”Emotions among the town’s residents are running high because of fears of a possible flood that can again hit the town,” local pharmacist Johan van Dyk remarked.”Some residents have indicated that they would commit suicide instead of facing bankruptcy as a result of another flood,” he added.The Task Force’s report revealed that last year’s flood caused damages of N$127 million in the town and N$7,8 million at the Hardap Irrigation Scheme.Residents have pleaded with the Namibia Insurers’ Association (NIA) to change its decision not to insure the town’s flood-affected areas from October 1 last year.However, residents and businesspeople – who expressed anxiety about the prospects of yet another flood this rainy season – were not happy with the MFTF proposals and the participants failed to find common ground.The first flooding of the southern town occurred in 1972 when the Hardap Dam sluices were opened fully, 10 years after the dam was built in 1962.Floods occurred again in 1974, 1976, 2000 and 2006.The Task Force recommendations included: increasing the Hardap Dam’s spillway capacity, increasing the capacity of the dam and its flow capacity channel, relocating all property west of the B1 road, constructing dikes (dam walls) along the river bank, and relocating all property west of the railway line.The recommendations also include the construction of dikes along irrigation schemes, construction of dikes to protect flooding from the Sandberg River and backflows from the Fish River, draining of internal storm waters, re-routing the B1 road east of Mariental or alternatively raising the railway line to serve as a dike.It emerged at the meeting that the Task Force felt the best option was to increase the capacity of the dam and its flow capacity channel.The latter option, estimated to cost N$322 million, will entail raising the dam wall by 10,4 metres, raising embankments, clearing reeds from the riverbed downstream of the dam wall, and increasing the spillway capacity by 70 per cent.This option would increase the riverbed’s water capacity to 1 400 cubic metres from the current 500 cubic metres.However, the townspeople feel that the reeds in the riverbed are the main cause of flooding and that the riverbed should be cleaned, widened and deepened to increase its water capacity to at least 5 000 cubic metres.The majority of the residents and businesspeople at the meeting supported the latter proposal.After the Hardap Dam was completed in 1962, a study compiled by the Department of Water Affairs indicated that reeds could have an impact on the water flow.Failure by the consultants to give a clear indication when action will be taken to implement any selected option also sparked anger among the townspeople.”Emotions among the town’s residents are running high because of fears of a possible flood that can again hit the town,” local pharmacist Johan van Dyk remarked.”Some residents have indicated that they would commit suicide instead of facing bankruptcy as a result of another flood,” he added.The Task Force’s report revealed that last year’s flood caused damages of N$127 million in the town and N$7,8 million at the Hardap Irrigation Scheme.Residents have pleaded with the Namibia Insurers’ Association (NIA) to change its decision not to insure the town’s flood-affected areas from October 1 last year.