Mariental counts the cost

AS the floodwater at Mariental subsided yesterday, temperatures soared over whether NamWater had precipitated the devastating flood by delaying the release of water from the Hardap Dam.

The town was plunged into chaos on Saturday morning when the sluices were fully opened to release water from the dam, which had reached an alarming 110 per cent of its capacity after heavy rains in its catchment area. The whole western side of the town was flooded, as well as a nearby pig farm and fields at the Hardap irrigation scheme.In other developments, it emerged that the flood had claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy, Isak Jeromy Seibeb.The Police confirmed yesterday that Seibeb drowned on Saturday afternoon while swimming in the floodwater with his brother.Meanwhile, the insurance industry is bracing for claims of up to N$30 million, while some businesses do not expect to open their doors for two months (see separate story).Yesterday NamWater public relations officer John Shigwedha strongly denied allegations that the flood was caused by NamWater’s delay in releasing water from the dam in a more controlled fashion.Residents have also claimed that they were not given sufficient warning about the release of the water.Shigwedha said the dam levels had been closely monitored ever since January.”The opening of the sluices was the best we could have done, to avoid a catastrophe,” he said.”The damage could have been much worse if we had not done what we did.”He said the unusually heavy rain was a “natural phenomenon” and people should not try to look for a scapegoat.Shigwedha also denied that NamWater had received a letter from the Mariental Town Council, demanding that they open the sluices or be held responsible for any losses incurred because of flooding.”We have never received such letter from the Town Council,” he said.A senior NamWater official, who asked not to be named, said the reeds growing in the riverbed below the dam hampered the free flow of water and contributed to the Fish River bursting its banks.”If this situation is not attended to, we can expect another catastrophe within three or five years,” the official said.The reeds obstructed the outflow of water and increased the threat of flooding, as the Fish River can cope with only 500 cubic metres of water per second, he said.The Namibian has established that the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for controlling the reeds in the riverbed.It is believed that the Ministry last tried to clear the reeds last year.When The Namibian spoke to some townspeople, they had different opinions on who was to blame for the flood disaster.Some felt that NamWater had waited too long before releasing water from the dam, while others were of the opinion that NamWater had closely monitored the dam level to avoid disaster.Shigwedha said yesterday afternoon that the dam was still receiving an inflow of 200 cubic metres per second.He warned that if the water inflow increased, NamWater would be forced to open the sluices again to maintain an 80 per cent dam level.The floodgates of the Hardap Dam were closed at 05h30 yesterday after the dam level had dropped to 76 per cent.The whole western side of the town was flooded, as well as a nearby pig farm and fields at the Hardap irrigation scheme.In other developments, it emerged that the flood had claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy, Isak Jeromy Seibeb.The Police confirmed yesterday that Seibeb drowned on Saturday afternoon while swimming in the floodwater with his brother.Meanwhile, the insurance industry is bracing for claims of up to N$30 million, while some businesses do not expect to open their doors for two months (see separate story).Yesterday NamWater public relations officer John Shigwedha strongly denied allegations that the flood was caused by NamWater’s delay in releasing water from the dam in a more controlled fashion.Residents have also claimed that they were not given sufficient warning about the release of the water.Shigwedha said the dam levels had been closely monitored ever since January.”The opening of the sluices was the best we could have done, to avoid a catastrophe,” he said.”The damage could have been much worse if we had not done what we did.”He said the unusually heavy rain was a “natural phenomenon” and people should not try to look for a scapegoat. Shigwedha also denied that NamWater had received a letter from the Mariental Town Council, demanding that they open the sluices or be held responsible for any losses incurred because of flooding.”We have never received such letter from the Town Council,” he said.A senior NamWater official, who asked not to be named, said the reeds growing in the riverbed below the dam hampered the free flow of water and contributed to the Fish River bursting its banks.”If this situation is not attended to, we can expect another catastrophe within three or five years,” the official said.The reeds obstructed the outflow of water and increased the threat of flooding, as the Fish River can cope with only 500 cubic metres of water per second, he said.The Namibian has established that the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for controlling the reeds in the riverbed.It is believed that the Ministry last tried to clear the reeds last year.When The Namibian spoke to some townspeople, they had different opinions on who was to blame for the flood disaster.Some felt that NamWater had waited too long before releasing water from the dam, while others were of the opinion that NamWater had closely monitored the dam level to avoid disaster.Shigwedha said yesterday afternoon that the dam was still receiving an inflow of 200 cubic metres per second.He warned that if the water inflow increased, NamWater would be forced to open the sluices again to maintain an 80 per cent dam level.The floodgates of the Hardap Dam were closed at 05h30 yesterday after the dam level had dropped to 76 per cent.