The Western Cape has been officially declared a disaster zone owing to the current drought.
MEC Alan Winde confirmed today that the status was made official to help speed up the process of deploying resources to tackle the situation. “The disaster zone declaration will help municipalities deal with issues of blockages in the procurement process to tackle the ongoing drought” he said.
In response to the #drought crisis, Premier Helen Zille has declared the Western Cape a disaster area.⚠ Details: https://t.co/kiwIsUaIjz pic.twitter.com/LKpjc88kdU
— Western Cape Gov (@WesternCapeGov) May 22, 2017
The declaration will be formally gazetted during the course of this week, signed off by Premier Helen Zille during a cabinet meeting last week. As it stands, the disaster will be classified for a three-month period which can be extended, if the need arises.
As our dam levels continue to decrease, public attention is being increasingly drawn to water conservation and management. Last year the Karoo and West Coast municipalities were declared disaster zones, a status which has spread to include all municipalities falling within the Western Cape in 2017.
It is imperative for residents throughout the province to adhere to water restrictions. Now is the time to not only realize the severity of the state we’re in but to also set an example to others by reducing your water consumption. Take action where you can; report water wastage and make use of natural springs. If you’re a homeowner investigate installing a greywater system – they make a surprising difference and are generally cost-effective.
We’ll post more updates as they become available.
Photography Joe Mania/Unsplash