01 Aug 2017

Senior Geologist in the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Nggie Wantlo says manufactured sand is an alternative substitute to river sand as it can save the environment.  

Mr Wantlo hinted this during the media experimental wall tour by Botswana Geosciences Institute (BGI) in Lobatse on July 31.

He said products made from manufactured sand were stronger than those from river sand, adding manufactured sand was workable and did not require any blending of pit or river sand.

He further noted that findings have proved that the alternative sand easily bond well with different types of bricks; and that the texture could be rough or smooth depending on preferred specifications.

With depletion of river sand in various river systems, Mr Wantlo said the potential for manufactured sand as river sand substitute would promote environment protection by reducing river sand mining.

Besides saving the environment, Mr Wantlo indicated that manufactured sand project would promote citizenship empowerment and participation in mining for Batswana through small scale mining endeavors.

Mr Wantlo indicated that source rocks to be used for manufactured sand have been identified and that they have a collaborative team of experts partnering in realising this project. Department of Geological Surveys, Lobatse Brigade Centre, Panda, Lobatse Clay Works, Department of Buildings and Electrical Services, Belabela and Kgale quarries, Sand Civil Laboratory, Botswana institute of Technology and Botswana Bureau of Standards were partners in realising the success of the project.

For her part, BGI Manager Minerals Resources, Dr Gomotsang Tshoso cautioned Batswana that river sand was not cheap and free as some seem to believe. She said environmental degradation that came with mining river sand was expensive. She indicated that river sand accumulated over a long period of time and that it took time to recover sand.

She therefore encouraged Batswana to opt for manufactured sand as a substitute for river sand. She indicated that the project was an NDP10 initiative which was divided into three phases of sub natural sand, clay and limestone. She said d they have already identified source rocks for manufactured sand and that the project covered areas of greater Gaborone, Serowe, Palapye, Maun, Ghanzi, and Francistown.

She further explained that the project has been completed in greater Gaborone area and that five quarries sites have been identified suitable for the experiment; two in Molepolole, Ntlhantlhe, Kgomokasitwa and Mankgodi. She also said Kasane, Ghanzi, Maun have not yet been penetrated. ENDS