Knysna On High Alert For Floods
After last year‘s floods which ravaged the Southern Cape, Knysna mayor Eleanore Bouw- Spies and other municipal representatives are on high alert to avoid a recurrence of the massive damage suffered.
Bouw-Spies had met officials from SANParks, the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral), Eden district and Knysna disaster management and the provincial environmental affairs department, a council spokesman said yesterday.
“Proper drainage is a key issue. SANParks confirmed that it would employ relevant expertise to do a modeling of the estuarine area, Bouw-Spies said.
SANParks had also agreed that it would open the lagoon mouth at Sedgefield on a 24-hour warning from Eden disaster management.
A number of residents complained earlier this year that the lagoon mouth had not been opened in time during last year‘s floods.
Bouw-Spies said the Knysna municipality would also look at a stormwater master plan for the affected areas.
“We will bring in the relevant expertise to look at stormwater, as well as undersized culverts and pipes, and are in discussions with Sanral to take more extreme events, beyond the 1:50 and 1:100 flood lines, into account with the upgrade of the road and the bridge,” she said.
The management of the Perdespruit, which flows into the lagoon, was also discussed as the inflow from the spruit affects flood levels and all authorities who manage the spruit, including the municipality, Sanral, Spoornet, and the water affairs department will need to draw up a management plan that will address the problem areas.
Another area of concern was the railway bridge over which the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe used to run.
“In the short term, the existing culverts need to be cleaned, but more culverts may be required to allow greater volumes (of water) to pass under the line rather than having a build-up which eventually spills over the top of the tracks.
“A delegation from the municipality will meet senior Transnet officials to discuss solutions,” Bouw-Spies said.
“Concrete decisions need to be made urgently if the area is to see a change in how we manage floods in future.”
By Janine Oelofse
www.theherald.co.za
