Several roads and low-lying bridges have been closed as the water in the Orange River rises to levels last seen during the flood of 2011 in the area.
Water released from the overflowing Vaal and Gariep dams into the Orange River system has contributed to the surging levels.
Johannes Louw, a concerned Farmer in Upington, says the floods are already impacting lucerne production and could pose a threat to next year’s grape harvest if the situation worsens.
“Lucerne will drown. Lucerne will not survive, but the positive side is that the grapes have been harvested, so there are no losses for grapes. It can only be for next year if there is damage to the farm. The big concern is that the water can cross the road and Kakamas will not be reachable, and the water will damage the grapes inside when it overflows the canal.”
The rising water levels have caused panic amongst farmers, with some fearing the worst. Chairperson of the Orange River Producers Association, Gabriel Viljoen, says some fields are underwater, and if the water remains in the field for two weeks, they will have to replant, which requires a lot of money.
“It has a big impact due to the water volumes which have risen over the past few days in the lower vineyards that are already covered in water. It is the same as taking oxygen from you. Vineyards get hurt. So after a period of two weeks, the vines basically die, then you have to replace them at a huge cost.”
Vice President of Agri Northern Cape, Wiaan Van Rensburg, says if more water flows from the Orange River it can cause damage to infrastructure.
“If the water levels rise because the flood walls were not done correctly after the 2011 floods, the water can overflow into agricultural land and cause infrastructure problems. If that flood wall breaks, the vineyards can be washed away from the ground. That will be a much bigger problem, more like the 1998 floods, and we don’t want this high water to reach that level.”
The flow on Sunday reached 4,300 cubic metres per second. Typically, the flow ranges between 30 and 50 cubic metres per second.
Authorities are monitoring the situation closely as the potential for further agricultural damage and community disruption grows.
--SABC--
