Mariental: After the flood, the anger

FLOOD victims at Mariental have called on President Hifikepunye Pohamba to declare a national disaster after the weekend’s devastating flood.

The town was plunged into turmoil when the Hardap Dam’s sluices were fully opened to discharge water from the dam after it reached an alarming 110 per cent of full capacity after heavy rains in its catchment area. Scores of people were displaced and businesses submerged when the western side of the town was flooded.The flood also destroyed crops at the Hardap irrigation scheme.Crop farmers, residents and business owners packed the Danie Joubert Hall at the town yesterday for a meeting called by Hardap Governor Katrina Hanse.The meeting was aimed at briefing flood victims on the current condition of the town and to get their input to map out the way forward.The disheartened residents were unanimous in calling on President Pohamba to declare Mariental a disaster area.One resident, Johan Van Den Bergh, asked why the President had not yet visited the town.”If one sees the President, you see hope, therefore one cannot imagine why the father of the nation has not yet come to see the situation in which his children find themselves,” he said.Governor Hanse was quick to say that Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila had been assigned to keep an eye on the situation at Mariental on the President’s behalf.Hanse emphasised that she herself was also keeping the President informed of the situation.But she pledged to invite the President to visit the town.In latebreaking news yesterday, it was announced that President Pohamba would visit the town this morning.Another resident took a swipe at Government for not having done something to prevent floods at the town.”What has the Government done after the previous floods? Nothing,” he commented.”Financial resources are not applied to find a lasting solution for the flooding at the town,” he added.The visibly disheartened owner of the Engen Service Station and Truck Port, Chris Nel, condemned NamWater’s decision to maintain the dam level at 80 per cent, despite forecasts of heavy rain in the area.He suggested that the dam level should be maintained at 70 per cent.”If a lasting solution is not found to prevent a further flood disaster at the town, Mariental would definitely become another ghost town,” he warned.Another resident, Meriam Sakaria, charged that NamWater had precipitated the flood by delaying the release of water from the dam.Sakaria also claimed that the notice given by NamWater before the floodgates were opened was too short.”They could at least notify the public a week in advance,” she said angrily.A crop farmer, Louw Nolte, expressed doubt over NamWater’s preparedness for dealing with any flood.He claimed that NamWater had struggled to open all four sluices and only managed to open two when the dam level reached 110 per cent.”The dam wall could have burst if people who had left NamWater a month ago had not been called in to rescue the situation,” he claimed.According to Nolte, NamWater officials on duty battled to start the generators used during power outages.At the time the dam reached full capacity, the Hardap area was experiencing a power cut.The Ministry of Agriculture also came under attack.Some residents felt that its control of reeds in the riverbed was ineffective.The Ministry is responsible for controlling the reed growth to ensure the free flow of water in the Fish River below the dam.”This exercise is a complete waste of financial resources,” one resident fumed.They proposed that earthmoving equipment be brought in to widen and deepen the riverbed.But Siegfried Engels, a senior official in the Ministry, argued that this would cost the Government millions.He said the “reed factor” was not instrumental in causing the flood.”The water was just too much and heavy rains unexpected,” he said.When approached for comment yesterday, Agriculture Minister Paul Smit said it was well known that Mariental lay in a flood area, and nobody could be blamed for the flood.”No matter what difference the reeds made, we must become united and look for a lasting solution, since all affected are responsible for the infrastructure,” he said.Hanse voiced similar sentiments and called on the townspeople to stop looking for a scapegoat.”We need to refrain from the blame game and come up with serious discussion on solving the flood issue,” she urged.CURRENT SITUATION The Mariental Town Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Nghiwilepo, yesterday told The Namibian that NamWater had indicated that the sluices would be opened again at 08h00 today.By 17h15 yesterday, the dam level had risen again – to 81,5 per cent.The sluices were closed on Monday morning when the level reached 77 per cent.According to Nghiwilepo, some business owners have indicated that they will close down their businesses.Others said it would take them two to three months before they could resume business.The main concern expressed by business owners was about the welfare of their workers while the businesses were closed.Nghiwilepo said he doubted that the Town Council would be able to afford repairs to the town’s damaged infrastructure.”We could not afford to rehabilitate our infrastructure unless the Government assists us,” he said.Scores of people were displaced and businesses submerged when the western side of the town was flooded.The flood also destroyed crops at the Hardap irrigation scheme.Crop farmers, residents and business owners packed the Danie Joubert Hall at the town yesterday for a meeting called by Hardap Governor Katrina Hanse.The meeting was aimed at briefing flood victims on the current condition of the town and to get their input to map out the way forward.The disheartened residents were unanimous in calling on President Pohamba to declare Mariental a disaster area.One resident, Johan Van Den Bergh, asked why the President had not yet visited the town.”If one sees the President, you see hope, therefore one cannot imagine why the father of the nation has not yet come to see the situation in which his children find themselves,” he said.Governor Hanse was quick to say that Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila had been assigned to keep an eye on the situation at Mariental on the President’s behalf.Hanse emphasised that she herself was also keeping the President informed of the situation.But she pledged to invite the President to visit the town.In latebreaking news yesterday, it was announced that President Pohamba would visit the town this morning.Another resident took a swipe at Government for not having done something to prevent floods at the town.”What has the Government done after the previous floods? Nothing,” he commented.”Financial resources are not applied to find a lasting solution for the flooding at the town,” he added.The visibly disheartened owner of the Engen Service Station and Truck Port, Chris Nel, condemned NamWater’s decision to maintain the dam level at 80 per cent, despite forecasts of heavy rain in the area.He suggested that the dam level should be maintained at 70 per cent.”If a lasting solution is not found to prevent a further flood disaster at the town, Mariental would definitely become another ghost town,” he warned. Another resident, Meriam Sakaria, charged that NamWater had precipitated the flood by delaying the release of water from the dam.Sakaria also claimed that the notice given by NamWater before the floodgates were opened was too short.”They could at least notify the public a week in advance,” she said angrily.A crop farmer, Louw Nolte, expressed doubt over NamWater’s preparedness for dealing with any flood.He claimed that NamWater had struggled to open all four sluices and only managed to open two when the dam level reached 110 per cent.”The dam wall could have burst if people who had left NamWater a month ago had not been called in to rescue the situation,” he claimed.According to Nolte, NamWater officials on duty battled to start the generators used during power outages.At the time the dam reached full capacity, the Hardap area was experiencing a power cut.The Ministry of Agriculture also came under attack.Some residents felt that its control of reeds in the riverbed was ineffective.The Ministry is responsible for controlling the reed growth to ensure the free flow of water in the Fish River below the dam.”This exercise is a complete waste of financial resources,” one resident fumed.They proposed that earthmoving equipment be brought in to widen and deepen the riverbed.But Siegfried Engels, a senior official in the Ministry, argued that this would cost the Government millions.He said the “reed factor” was not instrumental in causing the flood.”The water was just too much and heavy rains unexpected,” he said.When approached for comment yesterday, Agriculture Minister Paul Smit said it was well known that Mariental lay in a flood area, and nobody could be blamed for the flood.”No matter what difference the reeds made, we must become united and look for a lasting solution, since all affected are responsible for the infrastructure,” he said.Hanse voiced similar sentiments and called on the townspeople to stop looking for a scapegoat.”We need to refrain from the blame game and come up with serious discussion on solving the flood issue,” she urged.CURRENT SITUATION The Mariental Town Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Nghiwilepo, yesterday told The Namibian that NamWater had indicated that the sluices would be opened again at 08h00 today.By 17h15 yesterday, the dam level had risen again – to 81,5 per cent.The sluices were closed on Monday morning when the level reached 77 per cent.According to Nghiwilepo, some business owners have indicated that they will close down their businesses.Others said it would take them two to three months before they could resume business.The main concern expressed by business owners was about the welfare of their workers while the businesses were closed.Nghiwilepo said he doubted that the Town Council would be able to afford repairs to the town’s damaged infrastructure.”We could not afford to rehabilitate our infrastructure unless the Government assists us,” he said.