By Joseph Chirume
Qgeberha
The recent torrential rains that battered parts of the country, including Nelson Mandela Bay, have left a trail of destruction that will be permanently etched in the minds of residents.
Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said officials from NMBM’s Disaster Management, Metro Police, Fire Services, Lifesaving, and the South African Police Service Diving Unit had their hands full as they closely monitored and assessed conditions on the ground.
Soyaya explained: “All emergency teams remain in a state of readiness to assist residents who may be in distress or require urgent support. Residents are strongly urged to remain indoors where possible, avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from flooded roads, rivers and low-lying areas, and continue following updates from official platforms.”
It was all smiles after the dams that supply the region filled to capacity and started overflowing within 48 hours.
Soyaya said on 7 May: “The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has turned the corner on the critical situation of low dam levels, as all dams servicing the city are now overflowing, including the Impofu Dam, the largest dam supplying Nelson Mandela Bay, with a capacity of approximately 107 000 megalitres. The Impofu Dam was last at full capacity in 2016.
“These positive developments come amid the widespread disruptions caused by the heavy rains experienced across the city over the past two days. Dam levels have significantly improved, increasing from 39% to 100% within two days, with close to one hundred thousand megalitres of rainfall recorded in the catchment areas.”
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Councillor Babalwa Lobishe, said the full capacity of the dams is a huge relief to the residents and business community of Nelson Mandela Bay.
