R974m allocated for disaster recovery programmes in province

THE National Treasury and the National Disaster Management Centre has made R974 million available to the Western Cape for disaster recovery programmes and projects.

The bulk of the funding has been allocated to drought alleviation programmes across the province.

Anton Bredell, the MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, said the funding would allow for the province to recover from the severe storms that occurred in June last year, as well as the resultant and devastating fires which occurred in Knysna and Bitou municipalities at the time.

“The bulk of the drought funding – R553 million – was allocated to the City of Cape Town for drought alleviation projects and specifically for the Cape Flats, Table Mountain Group and Atlantis Aquifer projects,” he said.

Other disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction projects that have been funded include:

R25.8m to the Provincial Department of Education for the construction and rehabilitation of 22 schools after storms and fires last year.

R28.9m to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for emergency boreholes in the Theewaterskloof region.

R30m to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for drought alleviation in the Oudtshoorn Municipality.

R63.6m for other drought-related projects across the province, allocated to the National Department of Environmental Affairs.

R170m to the Provincial Department of Agriculture for livestock feed for farmers.

R41.9m to the Provincial Department of Agriculture for the land care programme which includes alien clearing and managing irrigation channels.

R54m was allocated for environmental rehabilitation and stabilisation projects in Knysna which will reduce the risk of fires as well as mudslides during heavy rains

Dam levels in the province continue to recover with the average level for dams across the Western Cape currently at 66% (2017: 36%).

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