THE city’s Disaster Management Unit is to be assessed to ensure its effective response to future natural disasters.
This was revealed at a meeting of the Executive Committee this month, where a report was submitted outlining how the city’s various relief and recovery units responded following heavy rains and flooding on 22 and 23 April.
The report revealed that the city’s Disaster Operations Centre was in constant communication with critical stakeholders to provide rapid response and to monitor the situation around the metro.
The official death toll due to the rains and subsequent floods was 64. The Disaster Emergency Call Centre was inundated with calls during the crisis, receiving approximately 171 to 200 calls per hour.
According to the report, disaster management officials have been conducting assessments of the damage and profiling affected households. A summary of damages and cost implications for each unit was also included in the report.
For engineering the estimated cost is R405.4 million which includes roads and stormwater maintenance related damage as well as roads provision and coastal stormwater and catchment management. The total cost for human settlements is R663.3 million which includes breaking new ground houses and informal settlements.
Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries saw a bridge totally washed away, a picnic spot washed away and lifeguard towers severely damaged. The total cost of repairs is R1.8 million.
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Meanwhile, the Electricity Unit estimates costs to be R19.5 million while the Health Unit requires R3 million to repair damaged clinic roofs and consultation rooms that were flooded.
The Metro Police requires R3.1 million to repair damage to the roof, tiles, wall and equipment at the Albert Park Police Station and for operational costs.
EThekwini Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer said it was hard to predict natural disasters and that the City was as prepared as it could be.
She said the Disaster Management Unit had formulated a template for councillors to fill in to ensure affected residents could be assisted speedily. EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede proposed that a workshop be held for all unit heads to come together to strategies in order to minimise the impact of disasters in the City.
Representing the Acting Deputy City Manager for Community and Emergency Services, Noluthando Magewu, was Vusi Mazibuko, who said a process to assess the Disaster Management Unit was underway to ensure the City would respond to disasters even more effectively.
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