Ward 6 Cllr Tammy Colley writes:
A disaster is a progressive or sudden widespread or localised natural phenomena or human-caused occurrence.
The threat of cyclone Batsirai had many people wondering if we were going to be affected, and if so, how severely.
There is no doubt that climate change is real and something we should all be taking seriously.
A recent study by the University of KwaZulu-Natal warns that our province could see an increase in more natural disasters and severe storms. Those in our area in 2007 will remember the destruction and devastation left behind after those storms.
An organised and functioning disaster management unit will be vital going forward. The function of this team must not be solely to rebuild houses swept away in a flood or damaged by fire, but also act as an early warning system, alerting communities timeously when there is a possible threat.
We must be proactive rather than reactive with regards to facing these new challenges. Even small changes in the way things are done will help.
Keeping storm water drains clean and clear from debris is a basic requirement to help minimise the impact of localised flooding.
With the damage caused by the recent floods in KZN running into the hundreds of millions, it is imperative that local government gets its house in order and ensures that our infrastructure is not unduly compromised.
Disaster management is not only reactive, it also involves actions aimed at preventing disasters and mitigating the impact of disasters.
The Democratic Alliance in KwaDukuza would like to see a detailed disaster management plan addressing all these issues, along with a suitable and reliable method of communicating this to our communities.
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