Winter Plan 2012

City announces its comprehensive Winter Plan for 2012

The City of Cape Town today announced its Winter Plan for the 2012 season. This plan details how the relevant Departments in the City will cooperate and liaise with each other to deliver the most comprehensive plan for eventualities and possible flood damage during the wet winter season.

“Each winter season, we prepare for any potential storm damage relating to the change in weather, such as flooding. We look back at the plans from previous years, and build on them to make sure we improve the assistance given to residents affected by any flooding. This year, as in previous years, the City is geared to deal with any major emergency or crisis events which require multi-disciplinary reaction by response agencies and specialised disaster response to safeguard the general public, property, environment and livelihoods,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater, Councillor Brett Herron.

Last year 2 600 informal structures were affected as opposed to 3 400 structures in 2010 and 11 500 in 2009.

“The City’s Anti-Land Invasion Unit has in the last couple of years prevented many people from settling in flood-prone areas and rentention ponds not suitable for human habitation. This has played an important part in the reduction of the number of incidents,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman J.P. Smith.

The City has prioritised nine high-risk areas which include informal settlements in Phillipi, Strand, Gugulethu and Fisantekraal.

The South African Weather Service has forecast that there are no enhanced probabilities for extreme above- or below-normal rainfall patterns for the Cape Metropole. There is an indication for slightly below-normal to average rainfall in the beginning months of winter and, towards the end of the winter season, there is a slight increase in the probability of above-normal rainfall.

The Winter Plan for 2012 is managed by the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Centre, which will coordinate the plan in cooperation with the Solid Waste Management, Social Development and Early Childhood Development, Roads and Stormwater, 107 Call Centre and Human Settlements Departments.

“Our approach to Winter 2012 is to ensure that all rescue and disaster assistance agencies are on standby, and to have an early warning system in place so that we have as much time as possible to prevent disasters,” said Alderman Smith.

In this regard, the City’s DRM Center has entered into a cooperation agreement with the Swartland Municipality to institute an Early Warning System. The agreement ensures that the City is notified in the event of heavy rainfall, which may result in the Diep River flooding. Similarly, the City is engaging with other neighbouring municipalities and other organs of state to put in place cooperative agreements to deal with any disasters, especially during the wet winter season.

This initiative further endorses one of the essential criteria the City has met in terms of acquiring “Role Model Status” as part of the United Nations: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction ‘My City is Getting Ready’ Campaign.

“However, we also need the assistance and cooperation of the public – they will be the first ones to notice a developing problem, such as a blocked drain. If they raise the alarm early, it can mean the difference between wide-spread flooding and localised problems,” said Councillor Herron.

Despite putting a range of contingency and preventative measures in place ahead of the winter season, it is still impossible to prepare for every possible eventuality.

A number of City Departments have prepared specific measures for this year’s Winter Plan:

DRM CENTRE

The Flood and Storms Planning Task Team, a multi-disciplinary team of City and supporting external agencies, will introduce various flood risk reduction measures to counter and mitigate the adverse effects of the winter rainfall period across the Metropole.  

The DRM Centre has intensified its public education and preparedness programme in particular in informal settlements located across the Cape Flats area which are situated in low-lying floodplain areas with limited run-off capacity. The flood risk reduction focus has now also taken into account areas which are vulnerable to weather events such as urban, riverine and estuarine areas.

As part of this preparedness programme, residents are given practical tips on how to raise floor levels, divert flood waters, as well as reduce health hazards associated with stagnant water. An information pamphlet (in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa) is being distributed to residents in high-risk flood areas.

The DRM Centre will, as deemed necessary, issue weather warnings and alerts based on advisories received from the South African Weather Service.

Various emergency shelters have been identified to help minimise the disruption of lives and community activities in the event of flooding. People will be encouraged to first try and find alternative accommodation with neighbours, friends or families before being housed in community facilities. The City’s DRM Centre has made arrangements with disaster relief partners who can provide humanitarian aid to persons in distress and discomfort as a result of flooding and storm damage.

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

The Human Settlements Department is mandated to ensure a continuous, co-ordinated and integrated development and improvement of the Winter Plan with specific focus on high-risk informal settlements within the city. Together with other line Departments, it aims to integrate preparedness and response activities for flood-related hazards to reduce or mitigate the risk that the winter storms pose for communities.

“This Department will work closely with the communities and other City Departments to, as far as possible, ensure that the homes of those vulnerable to flooding are cared for,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg.

Where necessary, sand bags will be distributed to raise the floor levels of dwellings and keep water out. As a reactive measure flood kits will be made available in severe circumstances.

“We would like to encourage all residents, and especially heads of households, to be proactive in maintaining their informal dwellings – thereby reducing the risk of flooding,” Cllr Sonnenberg added.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

The City has allocated a further R16 million for a cleaning programme, especially in sandy and leafy areas, to minimise stormwater blockages. The Solid Waste Management Department has already initiated three cleaning cycles, running from April to August, that will create approximately 650 temporary jobs.

  

ROADS AND STORMWATER

The Roads and Stormwater Department’s Proactive and Reactive Maintenance Programme, which includes both maintenance undertaken via the Annual Contracted Services and reactive maintenance via the Depot staff, is well underway. The programme focuses mainly on the pro-active, planned cleaning and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure to ensure it functions optimally.  

The Department is responsible for the following underground infrastructure: 7 500 km of pipes and culverts (underground conduits); 180 000 catchpits; 85 000 manholes; 850 stormwater ponds; and 1 200 km  of maintained rivers, canals and open channels. 

Ongoing monthly preparedness co-ordination meetings at District and Depot level are taking place to ensure that the required programmed maintenance plans are implemented throughout the Metro.  

         

The Department is also taking proactive steps to prevent the flooding problems residents experienced in 2011 and previous years by utilising the SAP C3 notification system.

Additional resources via the Mayor’s Special Job Creation Programme have been employed to assist in the cleaning of critical stormwater infrastructure in high flood risk areas across the city.

In addition, all critical stormwater retention ponds will be inspected at regular intervals during winter with particular emphasis on debris removal from outlet structures. Similar attention is given to intakes of mountain streams.

The current budget (2011/2012) for pro-active maintenance (mainly cleaning) of stormwater facilities by means of contracted services totals approximately R62 million. Reactive maintenance work, such as response to flood incidents is generally undertaken by the Department’s maintenance depots, and totals approximately R75 million.

Informal settlements are given high priority and maintenance efforts focus on the formal drainage systems either surrounding or within the settlements and inspections and cleaning frequencies are increased.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

This Directorate will assist in the provision of material support to qualifying partner Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). These NGOs need to prove to the City that they are able to provide a safe, clean and dignified environment for street people where they can be assisted and access programmes to facilitate their return to their families or re-integration into their communities of origin wherever possible.

“Whereas the short-term focus will be on immediate shelter, food and security, the longer-term focus must be on restoring human dignity and re-establishing people as self-reliant and positively contributing residents,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Social Development and Early Childhood Development, Councillor Beverly Cortje-Alcock

The Winter Programme has been running effectively for the last three years and will be monitored and assessed to ensure its continued support for vulnerable residents.

CONTACTING THE CITY

Flooding, blocked drains and service disruptions can be reported to the City’s Customer Contact Centre on  0860 103 089. Enquiries and/or complaints regarding burst and leaking water mains, faulty and leaking water meters, blocked and overflowing sewers can also be sent via SMS to 31373. Enquiries and/or complaints regarding electricity fault reporting can be sent via SMS to 31220.

For all emergency situations, please call 107 from a landline and 021 480 7700 from a mobile phone. You will then be transferred to the nearest relevant emergency service provider.

The City’s Transport Information Centre can be contacted on 0800 65 64 63 regarding delays on roadways and deviations.

End

Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town