Africa-Press – Botswana. Chairman of the North East District Council Kudzani Tobokwani has said the arrival of long awaited water delivery by Water Utilities Corporation has eased pressure on the more than forty two villages that now have a constant and reliable water supply.
Water shortage across the district is now history, he said.
In an interview, Councilor Tobokwani said across the district residents have in the past gone through some of the most painful hardships as a result of drinking water shortage.
He said since 2013, there were extended water shortage situations that could drag for up to three months with no drop to drink.
The situation started to ease in 2018 after WUC completed the Tutume-Ntimbale Water Scheme.
According to Tobokwani the villages of Jackalas No1, Tsamaya, Thamashanga and Ramokgwebana have at one point been the hardest hit.
Owing to a steep gradient, water could not reach those areas that are uphill.
It was only after WUC completed the remedial works that they had announced that the situation started to normalise.
The remedial works included raising the height of some water storage tanks in the village.
There was also construction of a few booster pumps in areas like Masunga and Mbalambi, said Tobokwani.
He said residents are immensely happy because the situation has significantly improved.
“Water is now always available. I am talking about the whole district. There is no shortage at all. I can confidently say our water demands is sufficiently met by the supply. ”
Tobokwani added that whatever little shortages that might happen are often a result of pipe bursts or when there is power outage.
He said when that happens WUC is always quick to repair the pipes and get water flowing again.
North East has two parliamentary parliamentary constituencies; Tati East and Tati West.
According to Tobokwani at the moment WUC is busy a tank at Sinyawe which will be completed soon.
He said when he looks back and remembers that there was a time not too far back when villages like Mosojane and Sivia lived through water rationing, it now feels like a distant history.
“During that time of rationing a village that got some water today would not be getting any the following day so that other villages too could get something to drink,” he said.
He said now that water is available, it is possible for people to forget what they have gone through.
“Right now residents are very happy. They can see water with their eyes. It is not a dream. When there is a problem, water is restored in no time,” said Tobokwani.
He added that the long awaited Francistown Water Master Plan will further take care of what little of North East District still feels the pinch from unmet water demand.
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