Rainfall more than a mere drop in the bucket?

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube welcomed the forecast of heavy rains in the province recently.

While last week’s rainfall provided some relief amidst the drought, she warned there is still a long way to go.

MEC Dube-Ncube has placed disaster management centres across KZN on full alert to assist communities in the event of localised flooding.

“Our rapid response teams are ready to respond to any crisis situation that could emerge from the heavy rains forecast for the province over the coming weekend. At the same time, we hope these rains will relieve the pressure on KZN’s strained water reserves,” she explained.

KZN Cogta has been active in its support of drought stricken municipalities over the last few months. Last year, the department motivated for a wholesale declaration of state of disaster for multiple districts which has since led to additional disaster relief funding from national government.

“We are battling a complex environmental situation whereby a drought stricken province is expecting heavy rainfall. This seems like a blessing, but the intensity of the rains currently forecast for KZN could potentially lead to severe flooding which will put additional pressure on us,” said MEC Dube-Ncube.

Cogta is consistently improving its capacity to intervene in natural disasters through its own highly professional rapid response teams. In addition, decentralised disaster management centres located in the province’s municipal districts are fully-equipped to handle just about anything Mother Nature throws their way.

“The rapidly changing climate is constantly presenting us with complex challenges where multiple disasters can strike at any given time simultaneously. Our record, however, speaks for itself and we are quite capable of assisting affected individuals and communities in multiple places and incidents at the same time,” concluded MEC Dube-Ncube.

With water rationing still on the cards for the province, it is yet to be disclosed how both Newcastle East and West will be affected by restrictions. In the meantime, residents were advised to use water sparingly for the benefit of KZN as a whole.

Every drop counts!

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