Progress made in relocating Lapland flood victims

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Gary van Niekerk, says plans to relocate flood disaster victims from a floodplain area in Lapland, Kariega, in the Eastern Cape, to a safer area in Ward 48 are progressing well.

Van Niekerk said the initial delay was caused by an application for approval by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on the residential usage of the identified land.

The Mayor said the approval, which has since been received from the department, came with conditions.

Among the conditions is that the metro must appoint an environmental specialist to monitor and guide the work to clear the building site, as well as the relocation and erection of temporary housing structures.

“The supply chain process to appoint this specialist started immediately after the go-ahead from the department was received, resulting in the tender process being concluded on Tuesday, 20 August 2024. 

“The appointment of the specialist will now follow and should not take longer than the anticipated two weeks,” Van Niekerk said.

Van Niekerk said following the floods, Lapland residents were moved to temporary accommodation in the town of Kariega, but they went back to their area after the floodwater subsided, to wait for imminent relocation.

In Walmer, Van Niekerk said flood victims are waiting for the electrification of temporary housing structures before they can be relocated.

READ | Relocation of Walmer flood victims imminent

“Availability of stock for electrification is causing the delays. Intervention measures have been put in place to speed up the process,” the Mayor said. – SAnews.gov.za