People warned to evacuate due to risk of Vaal flooding
People at risk of flooding along the Vaal River have been urged to evacuate.
Those who live in low-lying areas near the Vaal River have been urged to evacuate due to rising water levels posing a threat of flooding.
The Department of Water and Sanitation issued the warning after a fifth sluice gate was opened at the Vaal Dam on Sunday, April 7.
The fifth sluice was opened to manage the increased water levels due to continued rainy weather.
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According to TimesLive, water levels at the Vaal Dam increased to 109.39% on Sunday.
The Vaal Dam is also expected to reach the barrage, and the overflow could affect infrastructure in lower-lying areas.
Department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa warned that people living in "areas around the Vaal Triangle, Parys [and] low-lying areas next to the river" needed to evacuate.
This includes farmers with pumps and infrastructure along the river, as well as residents living downstream of the barrage and near tributaries feeding into the Vaal River.
"Downstream [from] Bloemhof Dam, the rising water level will affect all those along the Lower Vaal Catchment," she said.
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"Those [situated on the banks] of the Vaal River are urged to start removing valuable equipment, movable infrastructure and livestock, and to evacuate to avoid any possible damage or loss of life when the riverbanks overtop."
Mavasa also said one sluice gate had been opened at the Grootdraai Dam in Mpumalanga to release water, as the dam was 102.41% full on Sunday morning.
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Image: Department of Water and Sanitation South Africa