Govt prioritises on potable water

ONALENNA KELEBEILE
Staff Writer | Thursday May 2, 2013 00:00

 

Kitso Mokaila, the Minister for Minerals Energy and Water Resources said during the plan period, dams and treatment plants were built in Dikgatlhong and Thune while the construction of the second North-South Carrier Water scheme that has cost government P1.5 billion has started. He said investment per capita by Botswana in water supply is greater than most countries in the world.

He said progress has been made despite the fact that the population of Botswana, particularly in the areas along the railway and southern part of the country continue to outpace the limited water resources.

He said drought is a permanent feature in a semi-arid country like Botswana. 'Given the rapid development, the ever increasing domestic and industrial demand of water and the current consumption patterns and climate change effects, it is important that management strategies are employed such as reclamation of waste water alongside water demand management as well as efficiency induced water pricing,' he said. 

He explained that Botswana is a drought prone country with very limited water resources and potential sites for water resources development. The situation is worsened by the low precipitation, limited underground recharge and high evaporation rates from surface water resources.

Mokaila emphasised the need to manage the existing water resources effectively because the government's ability to continue undertaking huge water projects depends on the depth of its financial resources.He called on people to play a role in water conservation because policies and strategies response to water scarcity problems rely on the positive response from individuals.

The minister noted that to guard against the risk of supply shortfalls, his ministry has come up with a strategy where surface water resources conveyed through the North South Carrier will be supplemented through a system of conjunctive usage by local and regional water resources throughout eastern Botswana.

'Masama will be injected into the NSC system in the short term, Palla Road well fields will be integrated into Mahalapye supply zone while Ramotswa will be rehabilitated to augment supply for the greater Gaborone.This augurs well with my ministry's priority initiatives for demand management in NDP 10,' he said. 

The completion of the NSC project means the risk of drought in the southern part of the country can be mitigated. The minister said that water levels in Gaborone Dam are very low and to mitigate against this, supply has to come from the north through the NSC pipeline.