04 Aug 2014

Some Maun residents living along the Thamalakane River are living in fear of floods that threaten to submerge their homesteads.

The floods, which are caused by a spillage from the river, have completely surrounded some of the homesteads. Some roads leading to some homesteads are covered by the floods and residents are forced to use canoes to reach their homes.

Meanwhile, Maun Police Station commander, Superintendent Kenanao Badumetse has warned the community to be vigilant of the floods, noting that they pose a danger to their lives.

He noted that the river is a source of income for residents and at the same time a home of dangerous animals and warned fishermen and women to exercise caution.  

He alerted the communities about the presence of hippos and crocodiles as well as snakes in the river, hence he called them to be careful and alert at all times.

Superintendent Badumetse appealed to parents to keep an eye on their children not to swim or play near the river, adding that cases of drowning are also worrisome in his policing area.

He said last year they recorded a high number of incidents of drowning in which people lost their lives. This year, he said five people have died due to drowning.

In an interview with the head of aquatic vegetation control unit in the Department of Water Affairs, Dr Naidu Kurugundla admitted that there are floods but indicated that the situation is not worrisome as the floods had been there already due to the annual rising levels of water.

He said the Thamalakane River had high levels of water early due to high rainfall recorded in the Okavango Delta.

He said the inflow at Mohembo from Angola was normal, adding that they cannot expect what happened in 2011 where many residents in the Okavango Sub District were left homeless due to the overflow of the Okavango River. 

Dr Kurugundla said this year’s floods were caused by among other things, water level was receding in the Okavango area as the water is now flowing to the Ngami area which is on the downstream due to high rainfall this year.

He noted that the construction of the new Thamalakane bridge caused the river to swell and water started gushing into homesteads. He also indicated that other homesteads are allocated in low flood plains because there was no proper consultation between the Department of Water Affairs and the land board. Ends