29 Jun 2014

The bad odour emanating from Notwane River in Oodi is worrying residents and they are concerned about their health.

Residents say the foul smell from the river had been persistent for a long time. Notwane River passes through Oodi and water from the river is used for many purposes such as irrigation and for livestock.

Residents suspect the water is from the Glen Valley sewage treatment plant, but say in the past the water was treated before being released into the river  

Kgosi Clatter Rantabe of Oodi said the foul smell was tormenting residents, adding that even the colour of the water was dark. He said when the water was treated it looked clear and clean.

He said using the water from the river for irrigation and livestock was healthy, noting that vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes and cabbages could be eaten raw.

For his part, an employee at one of the farms that uses the water from the river, Mr Robson Muguti said the foul smell from the river was too much for them.

He said since they use the water regularly, the stench from the river has contaminated them and were uncomfortable when moving around the village.

People who sell crops and vegetables close to the river also complain of the foul smell. They said the foul smell has chased away their customers. 

Mr Farai Muguti who sells vegetables nearby said he has no choice. “We make a living by selling crops and vegetables here so there is nowhere we can escape the smell to,” he said.

For her part, the acting director of the Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control, Ms Oarabile Serumola said they treat 90 megalitres of waste water per day.

She said pump stations around the country do not treat waste water for purity, but just to reduce toxic chemicals. 

Ms Serumola said sewage treatment was meant to reduce the pollution rate, adding that after treatment the waste water was released to let the natural attenuation to take place.

“We are not treating waste water for drinking but to ensure that it is used for other purposes such as irrigation and watering livestock,” she said.

She said her office was aware of the situation in the Notwane River, adding that vandalism of Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) pump stations led to the poor treatment of waste water. 

She said there was vandalism of BPC cables at the Phakalane pump station that affected the process of treating waste water hence the overflowing of untreated sewage directly into the river.

Ms Serumola advised members of the public not to use water from the river as it was polluted. She, however, said in conjunction with Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) they were monitoring the situation all the way from Ramotswa to Mochudi. 

She said untreated sewage in the river might contribute to measles in cattle and urged farmers to ensure that their cattle did not wander around the river.

Ms Serumola said the public needs to be educated on the river water, noting that  the water was not pure even in its pristine state because a lot of things were washed into its system. 

She encouraged the public to use river water for irrigating citrus plants as the water would not be consumed by the fruits from the trees and refrain from using it on vegetables that could be eaten raw.

She also advised those who use the water to irrigate lawns to be careful with their children as they like eating anything that comes from the ground, adding that it could lead them to attracting bacterial viruses. ENDS