Mokaila absolves dam owners from Gaborone shortages

Gothataone Moeng | Wednesday June 18, 2014 06:59

 

This week Mokaila told Ntlo ya Dikgosi that he does not believe the private dams are to blame for the low levels of water in Gaborone Dam.

“These dams have been there all along, yet the dam has been filling up all these years,” he said, in response to enquiries by the traditional leaders.

He added that, “The private dams contribute positively to Gaborone Dam’s water levels as they silt sand and help the larger dam last longer”.

The minister said the private dams also allow farmers to water their livestock, and they thus contribute positively to farmers’ livelihood.  

However, he said if his ministry discovers that the dams are more detrimental than previously thought, they would engage the Ministry of Agriculture on their future.

“This issue of the dams blocking the water flow is something that we have heard about, and something that we will look into.” 

Appearing with Mokaila before Dikgosi was Nginani Mbayi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) and Jacob Raleru, CEO of Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to appraise the traditional leaders on the water and electricity situation in Botswana.

Specially Elected Kgosi Moeti II had asked the minister to verify media reports alleging that the private dams reduce water supplies into Gaborone Dam, while Kgosi Kgomotso Boiditswe of Serowe Region had asked if government had a policy controlling the construction of private dams within specific catchment areas. 

Kgosi Maruje II had also asked about the regulations controlling the construction of dams and whether there were any standards regulating where they could be built.  

Earlier this year, the Ministry revealed that more than 200 private dams were in existence in the Gaborone Dam’s catchment area, seemingly confirming widely held public sentiment that the smaller dams block water flow to Greater Gaborone and its 500,000 residents.

The view has been strengthened by the fact that the Gaborone Dam levels have continued to decline despite water rationing and late rainfall in the catchment area.

The dam is currently estimated at 12.4 percent with only four months of supply left at current off-take levels.

Meanwhile, WUC Deputy CEO, Mbayi said water losses of up to 40 percent in most villages, is one of the greatest challenges the Corporation faces in water resource management. 

While the WUC says some of these losses are due to leaking water pipes, Dikgosi also pointed out that the Corporation takes a long time to attend to the leaks pipes that are reported to them. 

Mbayi added that indiscriminate and unsustainable use of potable water for watering of livestock also led to vandalism of water pipes, and greater water losses.