Work underway to repair flood-ravaged uMdloti
Northglen News met with Vicky Schnetler, Umdloti Smart Village precinct manager, who was inspecting damages caused by the floods.
HUNDREDS of millions of rands is needed to repair buildings and other road infrastructure in uMdloti that was severely damaged during the KZN floods.
Northglen News met with Vicky Schnetler, Umdloti Smart Village precinct manager, who was inspecting damages caused by the floods.
Several apartment blocks in the holiday village had to be evacuated due to several mudslides which caused utter devastation to the area.
Homes and buildings, deemed structurally unsafe now stand vacant on North Beach Road, South Beach Road and Bellamont Road.
A section of the main beach traffic circle was also washed away in the storms and many residents were left without water, which was cut off during the storm.
Schnetler said a multi-disciplinary team of professionals such as engineers and architects had already begun assessments and a plan of action for repairs.
“uMdloti is one of the hardest hit areas in terms of damage. Residents on North Beach Road were stranded in the floods as tons of sand had blocked the road. Due to private funding, a new horseshoe road was created on Bellamont Road to help residents who were trapped. Even the ski boat club was washed away into the sea.
“There was utter devastation everywhere you looked. We managed to do a head count going from building to building and thankfully there were no fatalities. We currently have private engineers assessing repair work and figuring out a plan of action. We have managed to restore water to some of the homes which is a massive plus” she said.
Schnetler added that the holiday town had also lost millions in tourism revenue over the Easter weekend.
She praised residents for showing their community spirit in helping with the rescue and mop-up operations.
“Every single person who was able to do something for others in need did so. It was quite incredible to see how the uMdloti community pulled together. I must also say we had a few Ballito residents on scrambler bikes lend assistance when we couldn’t access North Beach Road, ferrying water and goods to those in need,” she said.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
