Vaaldam – Daar is weer vyf sluise oop / Five sluices open again

Daar is weer vyf kruinsluise oop by die Vaaldam. Watervlakke bly styg.

Net water waar jy kyk. Foto’s verskaf / Water everywhere. Photo Supplied

DENEYSVILLE. – Twee weke gelede kon Marina Smit van Hartebeesfontein net buite Deneysville ‘n sug van verligting slaag nadat vyf kruinsluise by die Vaaldam oopgemaak is.

Die Vaaldam se water het op daardie stadium reeds die hele erf oorspoel en in die huis ingevloei.

Die water stroom weer die huis binne. / Water flooding the house again

Verlede week is daar egter drie van die kruinsluise weer toegemaak nadat die dam se vlakke tot ‘n meer beheerbare 102% gedaal het.

Die reën in die groter opvangsgebied het egter nie opgehou nie en teen 17 Januarie 2022 was die dam weer 108.5% vol.

Twee kruinsluise is gister (17 Januarie) weer oopgetrek en vanoggend om 11:00 is nog een oopgemaak. Daar is nou weer vyf kruinsluise oop.

Die kruinsluise is oopgetrek om die dam se infrastruktuur te beskerm.

Lees: Latest Dam Levels

Marina het op 18 Januarie 2022 laat weet dat die water die afgelope paar dae weer aansienlik gestyg het en dat hul erf en huis weer oorstroom is ten spyte van die sandsakke wat gepak is.

“Ons weet nie meer wat om te doen nie”, het sy gesê.

Hulle bly reeds vir die afgelope 8 jaar in die huis en dis die eerste jaar wat die water tot in die huis inloop. In die verlede kon hulle dit by die voorstoep keer.

Die Departement van Water en Sanitasie se woordvoerder, Sputnik Ratau, het gesê hulle monitor die situasie.

Hulle het ook inwoners gewaarsku om betyds te reageer op enige boodskappe van die munisipaliteite, nooddienste en rampbestuur sou ontruimings moet plaasvind.

Artikel deur Gerda Bruinette en het oorspronklik verskyn in die Vaalweekblad. Engelse vertaling deur Leon Joubert van ShowMe Vaal

Five sluice open at the Vaal Dam again, water levels continue to rise

Twee weke gelede was dié erf ook onder water, en steeds hou die nie op met reën nie. / Due to non stop rain flooding occurred again as it did two weeks ago

DENEYSVILLE – Two weeks ago Marina smith of Hartbeesfontein on the outskirts of Deneysville sighed in relief after five sluices were opened at the Vaal Dam

But then the Dam’s water flooded her land and started streaming into her house.

Last week three sluices were closed after dam levels dropped to 102%

Five sluice gates now open again

It, however, has not stopped raining in the greater catchment areas and by January 17th the dam had risen to a level of 108.5%.

Yesterday (17 January) two more sluices were opened again and another this morning at 11:00 (18 January). A total of five sluices are now open to protect the dam’s infrastructure.

Marina announced on the 18th that dam water has risen considerably again these past days flooding her land and house in spite of using sandbags in an attempt to prevent the flooding.

She says they don’t know what to do anymore.

They have been living in their house for the past eight years and never have water levels risen to such an extent that it flooded their land and home. In previous years they managed to stop the water at their stoep.

Read: Latest Dam Levels

The spokesperson for the Department of Water & Sanitation, Sputnik Ratau, says they are monitoring the situation and warned residents to react timeously to any evacuation warnings or announcements from the municipality, emergency services or disaster management services.

Article was written in Afrikaans by Gerda Bruinette and originally appeared in the Vaalweekblad. English translation by Leon Joubert of ShowMe Vaal