Africa-Press – Botswana. Completion of some major water projects will mitigate the current critical supply situation in Ramotswa.
Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) head of Business Centre, Ms Boitumelo Kgaodi told a Kgotla meeting Monday that the projects which included the Mmamashia Water Treatment plant and the full operation of the 92 mega litres concrete Forest Hill reservoir would augment the current supply.
She said the reservoir was currently at a commissioning stage and was filled to capacity while the 80km pipeline from the reservoir, which forms part of the Lobatse Water Master plan would soon be supplied and filled with its offshoots serving Ramotswa.
The reservoir, the largest in the WUC infrastructure forms part of the North South Carrier (NSC 2.3) water transfer scheme with two phases of a pumpstation at Mmamashia water treatment plant and a 29km steel pipeline from Mmamashia to Kgale.
The network was meant for onward transmission to Greater Gaborone area which includes Ramotswa.
Ms Kgaodi said high lying areas in Ramotswa such as Makoloboto, Mothubakwane and Magope-Disana were the hard hit with little during off peak hours to no supply at all. She said in places without any reticulation WUC assisted with bowsers to fill the supply gaps.
She said by September, WUC hoped to push for more volumes of water as their projects wound up adding that water supply challenges would be the thing of the past in June next year when the 400km NSC II was complete.
She said the Boatle treatment Plant, which was also meant to augment supply in Ramotswa had some constructional defects and thus non-operational.
The over P70million project had the capacity to treat 110mega litres per day, said Ms Kgaodi who explained further that WUC had engaged an assessor to work on its maintenance plan.
As for Magope-Disana project, Ms Kgaodi said phase one, which was a booster station and pipeline was completed and funds permitting phase two, which was reticulation to households would be done soon.
Member of Parliament for Ramotswa, Mr Lefoko Moagi had raised concern about the supply challenges in Ramotswa despite efforts made on some projects. He pleaded with WUC to find a lasting solution to the Monganakodu seepage problem.
On other matters, Mr Moagi briefed residents on the Parliament winter session, noting Bills passed, the upgrading of subordinate authorities and other matters concerning villagers.
For his part, principal economist Mr Tumelo Setshogo said they were advised as local authorities to consult with communities on the District Development Plan 9 and the National Development Plan 12.
He said in 2021, consultations were made about the set of plans but government took a decision to implement the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP).
Mr Setshogo said the TNDP did not include all plans but focused mainly on ongoing and high impact plans such as water projects.
He said they would consolidate the district’s submissions before presenting to a full council for its blessing and finally to the ministry for approval.
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