Provincial Agriculture Minister Ivan Meyer says the funds will mitigate future flood damage to the Upper Olifants River Catchment area.
Meyer says water security in the region, particularly the agricultural industries must be protected as well as the livelihoods that depend on it. He says while a permanent solution is needed to the road infrastructure at Citrusdal, climate change has made the repairs of agricultural infrastructure essential.
“Citrusdal is a strong agricultural and citrus region in the Western Cape. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has therefore decided to allocate R15 million to the Citrusdal Water Users Association to clean the river through river protection works. This will prevent future flooding from causing major damages in the town of Citrusdal.