Thune Dam on course

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Friday September 10, 2010 00:00

The project was stopped indefinitely after the May incident in which one worker was killed and the contractor Zhong Gan Engineering was instructed to stop work immediately.

The worker met his fate after a tower they were constructing collapsed and he died on the spot.

As a result of the stoppage there was also no progress with any bridge works on site except for bush clearing to enable surveying.

The project was already under pressure and behind schedule. Delayed construction of bridges was also a feared challenge.

“Suspension was necessary due to the safety and health issues that the contractor had to fulfil first with us. We are now satisfied and have since lifted the suspension,” said Dedede.

The Ministry of Minerals Energy and Water Resources will conduct the dam’s ground breaking ceremony on September 17, for the dam construction to commence. Dedede elaborated that after the award of tenders the contractor starts off by mobilising and securing equipment prior to the commencement of the actual dam construction.

“We are now done with establishments and ground breaking event is to formalise that the actual work can start,” he indicated.

He said what is currently happening is the construction of houses and the contractor has been securing licensing rights for the dam construction. 

Thune Dam is expected to provide domestic water requirements for a number of villages in Bobirwa as well as to provide water requirements for the irrigation scheme to be situated near Mathathane.

The 90 million cubic metros capacity dam project that commenced last April should be complete by 2013. A few months ago, the housing contract project, external works, septic tanks and sewer reticulation were well in progress as well as the external boundary which has been placed awaiting backfilling.

Internal roads have been set out and adjustments made to minimise falling of trees. The water treatment works, pump stations, supply pipelines and storage structures contracts were not yet out to tender.

Dedede said the arrangement is that this component should be complete at the same time as the dam construction.

The department of Water Affairs has paid BPC P40 million for the provision of power to the dam site.

BPC has engaged the consultant who will be supervising the construction of the power line to the site. The dam construction will help create employment and generate income for small businesses as well as job skill transfer due to working with contractors and consultants with different backgrounds.

The environmental management and monitoring will be a continuous process. Remains of people who were buried on the dam site have since been exhumed and reburied to pave way for the project. Thune Dam is one of the three dams currently under construction by the ministry. The dam should be complete in April 2013.