Mariental calm and ready for any flood

AFTER four days without rain in the Hardap Dam’s catchment area Mariental residents are starting to breathe a bit more easily – the dam’s level has slowly subsided and with it fears of flooding in the town’s low-lying western parts.

By yesterday afternoon, the storage dam’s level was said to be at 69,7 per cent of its full capacity, down from the 71,8 per cent recorded on Tuesday, according to municipality CEO Paul Nghiwilepo. During a meeting with business owners and farmers on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo said a decision had been made to not allow the dam’s level to rise much more than 70 per cent, in order to prevent damage to the dam’s walls and to minimise the risk of flooding the town.It took less than two weeks from the start of the rainy season at the beginning of this month for the Hardap Dam to go from 26,6 per cent (on February 4) to 64,3 per cent (on February 14), Nghiwilepo told The Namibian yesterday.At the moment there is no water flowing into the dam from the rivers feeding it, while the weather bureau has predicted that the town should not expect any more rain for at least the next five days.Nghiwilepo said the municipality was comfortable in saying it would be able to inform residents 14 hours in advance of any real danger of flooding, which would allow enough time for evacuation from the flood-prone areas.The municipality’s efforts in this regard appear much appreciated when speaking to business owners and workers in the western side of the town, where approximately 80 per cent of all businesses are situated.Many spoken to this week said the only way to survive another flood would be to lose as little as possible.”We’re happy to see that NamWater and Government appear to be taking our fears seriously,” said Chris Nell, owner of the Engen Mariental Fuel Centre and Wimpy Fast Food Restaurant.In the 2006 floods, Nell lost approximately N$1,8 million, he said.And since insurance companies have since withdrawn flood coverage, should another flood occur, he says he would be “effectively bankrupt”.Nell, like many others spoken to, has secured storage space on the eastern side of town.He rents a warehouse from another businessman in case he needs to evacuate his business.Another example of someone employing this approach is that of Jeanette Afrikaner, who works at Hardap Meat Products.After the 2006 floods, Jeanette said she lost her job at the shop for a number of months as the owner contemplated reopening the shop or not.”I’ve offered to store some of the refrigerators at my house this time around”, she says, saying that there simply aren’t any job opportunities on the “dry side” of town.Many of the businesses spoken to said they accepted that they were situated in an area that they probably never should have been in, but add that there’s no use in crying over spilt milk.Another business owner spoken to, who asked not to be named, agreed with Nell in saying that they hoped plans to clear the Fish River bed of reeds and to build a wall in front of the town to slow down water flowing from Hardap Dam could be sped up.Some of the business owners said they hoped to get others together to talk about the establishment of a ratepayers’ association in the absence of help from the insurance industry.Meanwhile, many residents on the western side are said to have already moved much of their possessions to the properties of friends and relatives in the eastern part of town.”What’s left in my house now I can easily clear out in three hours,” former town councillor Thys Cronje, owner of three businesses in the danger area, said yesterday.Still, judging from comments on the street, residents of Mariental appear reassured that, at least this year, they will be free from any floods.”We prayed a lot over the situation.It won’t happen again,” said Helena Rooi, who works at Engen.”Of course people try to scare you, but we go and look at the dam levels every now and then.It won’t happen again,” she said.During a meeting with business owners and farmers on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo said a decision had been made to not allow the dam’s level to rise much more than 70 per cent, in order to prevent damage to the dam’s walls and to minimise the risk of flooding the town.It took less than two weeks from the start of the rainy season at the beginning of this month for the Hardap Dam to go from 26,6 per cent (on February 4) to 64,3 per cent (on February 14), Nghiwilepo told The Namibian yesterday. At the moment there is no water flowing into the dam from the rivers feeding it, while the weather bureau has predicted that the town should not expect any more rain for at least the next five days.Nghiwilepo said the municipality was comfortable in saying it would be able to inform residents 14 hours in advance of any real danger of flooding, which would allow enough time for evacuation from the flood-prone areas.The municipality’s efforts in this regard appear much appreciated when speaking to business owners and workers in the western side of the town, where approximately 80 per cent of all businesses are situated.Many spoken to this week said the only way to survive another flood would be to lose as little as possible.”We’re happy to see that NamWater and Government appear to be taking our fears seriously,” said Chris Nell, owner of the Engen Mariental Fuel Centre and Wimpy Fast Food Restaurant.In the 2006 floods, Nell lost approximately N$1,8 million, he said.And since insurance companies have since withdrawn flood coverage, should another flood occur, he says he would be “effectively bankrupt”.Nell, like many others spoken to, has secured storage space on the eastern side of town.He rents a warehouse from another businessman in case he needs to evacuate his business.Another example of someone employing this approach is that of Jeanette Afrikaner, who works at Hardap Meat Products.After the 2006 floods, Jeanette said she lost her job at the shop for a number of months as the owner contemplated reopening the shop or not.”I’ve offered to store some of the refrigerators at my house this time around”, she says, saying that there simply aren’t any job opportunities on the “dry side” of town.Many of the businesses spoken to said they accepted that they were situated in an area that they probably never should have been in, but add that there’s no use in crying over spilt milk.Another business owner spoken to, who asked not to be named, agreed with Nell in saying that they hoped plans to clear the Fish River bed of reeds and to build a wall in front of the town to slow down water flowing from Hardap Dam could be sped up.Some of the business owners said they hoped to get others together to talk about the establishment of a ratepayers’ association in the absence of help from the insurance industry.Meanwhile, many residents on the western side are said to have already moved much of their possessions to the properties of friends and relatives in the eastern part of town.”What’s left in my house now I can easily clear out in three hours,” former town councillor Thys Cronje, owner of three businesses in the danger area, said yesterday.Still, judging from comments on the street, residents of Mariental appear reassured that, at least this year, they will be free from any floods.”We prayed a lot over the situation.It won’t happen again,” said Helena Rooi, who works at Engen.”Of course people try to scare you, but we go and look at the dam levels every now and then.It won’t happen again,” she said.