Africa-Press – Botswana. The North South Carrier (NSC) 2.2 raw water pipeline from Mahalapye to Mmamashia is progressing well and is scheduled for completion by July 2024, without cost overruns.
Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila learnt during the tour of the pipeline on Thursday that currently contractors were welding pipes and conducting non-destructive testing of welds and pipe laying among other activities.
Project consultant, Mr Simon Mmopi said the actual overall progress of the project was 26 per cent which was conducted by three contractors and that because of its huge magnitude, it had to be unbundled
He said the construction of the pipeline would increase water supply to the southern part of Botswana that experienced deficit due to significant demand that had surpassed capacity of water resources
Minister Mzwinila said the objective of the project was to ensure sufficient water supply to the southern part of the country and that the idea to do so was long agreed by Parliament in the early 1990s, that one pipeline was not enough to ferry water to the Southern part of the country.
He said NSC 1 had the capacity to supply 60 million litres of water a day and that Masama further increased the water supply by 64 million litres a day.
“The current NSC 2.2 will further increase water supply by 60 million litres a day,” he said.
He said the project that consumed that largest share of the development budget cost P5.2 billion and it was meant to ensure seamless water supply across the country as well as improve the ease of doing business.
“As you know water is a primary resource for living and it is the catalyst for unlocking other opportunities including creation of jobs,” he said.
Minister Mzwinila also noted that the ministry was currently conducting other major water projects that were at various stages to ferry water to Molepolole, Lobatse, Kanye, Moshupa among other villages.
Another upcoming pipeline he said, would be Chobe- Zambezi that would also result in ending water drought and would further propel other development projects that require water.
Meanwhile, Dr Mzwinila also cautioned contractors to ensure delivery of the project on time and within budget, warning that room for failure was unacceptable..
Deputy Kgosi of Bakgatla, Kgosi Bana Sekai commended government for major water projects, which he said also benefited Bakgatla who resided along the pipeline.
“We do not take these initiatives light because our people have benefited greatly from employment,” he said,
He also said he was so far satisfied that contractors worked well with village authorities and were involved in some of the corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Kgatleng District Council chairperson, Mr Daniel Molokwe also stated that the projects came handy to Kgatleng residents who benefited from skills transfer among other things. He added that contracts’ community liaison officers kept the district authorities abreast with development taking place in all the pipeline works.
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