Damaging water infrastructure will cost us – Molao
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Wednesday August 21, 2024 08:58
The P94 million Mathangwane water infrastructure upgrade project is the only hope to address the water crisis affecting the four affected villages of Mathangwane, Makobo, Natale and Jamataka. Work on the project, which began on February 6, is scheduled for completion by November 5. Molao, satisfied with the project's progress, cautioned villagers during a media tour of the water infrastructure against damaging the water facilities. He stated that after having endured years of suffering from water scarcity, damaging the property would be unfavourable to the community. Molao stated that vandalism of the infrastructure will result in supply disruptions leading to high operational costs or water shortage in the area. 'Let's maintain the infrastructure to ensure its longevity. We recognise the suffering that results from having no water at all. We should likewise practise conservation,' he added.
Molao applauded the construction company for its good work and expressed confidence that the project would be completed on time and within budget. Additionally, he said the affected villages are currently receiving water through browsers, but this will soon change. Earlier on, the project engineer Brenda Masalila said the infrastructure upgrade is making 77% actual progress as opposed to the 74% planned progress. She stated that the project is three percent ahead of schedule and all the pipelines have been installed and the tanks at Makobo village have been completed. Masalila said the only outstanding matter is that they are waiting for the pumps for Bluetown station to arrive because they were ordered from France. She added that one of the challenges they faced was shortage of water for construction. 'The river from which we get our construction water was dry. There was a delay because we had to source from somewhere else,' she added. New water pipes for the Water Utilities Corporation Mathangwane Cluster project will cover about 34km connecting the Bluetown pump station to the villages of Mathangwane, Makobo, Jamakata and Natale. During a consultative meeting at the start of the project in February, Masalila explained that the Bluetown pump station would be upgraded. Two 500 cubic metre water tanks were to be built in Mathangwane on a 15-metre stand.
Also, a 13-kilometre pump line from Mathangwane to Makobo village and a pump station were to be updated. The contractors plan to build two tanks—one measuring 500 cubic metres on a 15-metre stand and the other measuring 300 cubic metres. Along with that, they plan to construct a 15-kilometre pipeline from Makobo to Jamataka village and a new pump station. Additionally, at Natale village a 500 cubic metre tank will be built and a 300 cubic metre tank on a 15-metre stand will be constructed, she continued. Masalila added that the water system would be monitored using telemetry and SCADA from the new tanks at the Shashe Treatment and Water Works. The project, awarded to Auto Drone Company, has employed 164 locals, with 30% of them being women.