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Chronicle Reporter
About 100 families who were on Saturday temporarily evacuated from their homes following heavy rains that flooded Manningdale Dam in Bulawayo have returned after council declared that the area is now safe.Families from Manningdale, Lochview, Parklands, Matsheumhlophe, Riverside, Killarney, Glengarry and Mahatshula were evacuated after the privately owned Manningdale Dam started spilling in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Bulawayo chief fire officer Richard Peterson said council had assessed the situation and opened up the flood gates to lessen the water levels in the dam.
“Families have been advised to go back to their homes. We managed to bring down water levels at the dam whose overflow had made us contemplate evacuating families. We opened the flood gates and as we speak, the place is now safe compared to two days ago.
“We sent teams to assess the situation and as a result we will leave the flood gates since according to weather reports, rainfall is still expected. We encourage residents to therefore exercise caution and stay away from flooded areas,” said Peterson.
A Chronicle news crew visited the scene yesterday and residents expressed concern over flooding near Lochview Primary School.
“We are happy because the council came to our rescue. However, I am worried because they opened the flood gates and the water that came from this dam is spilling to a bridge near Lochview Primary School. We failed to cross the bridge and we are hoping something will be done to ensure our children’s safety as well,” said Mbuso Ntini, a resident from Manningdale.
Another resident who identified herself as Gogo Sophi said she had never seen Manningdale Dam so full.
“I last saw floods in this area during the 1950s and was shocked on Saturday when we almost drowned with my family. I thank God we are safe and I hope council will continue ensuring our safety,” she said.
Online Reporter