04 Mar 2018

Dikgatlhong Dam, which is the largest dam in Botswana with a water holding capacity of 400 million cubic metres, is full to capacity and overflowing. 

Technician from Water Utilities Corporation, Mr Kabo Baker told BOPA in an interview that the dam was currently 109.2 per cent full. 

He said currently the dam’s spill way was openend to reduce water pressure on the dam’s wall. He told BOPA that the surface area of the Dikgatlhong Dam was about 45 square kilometres from the dam’s wall stretching as far back as and beyond ‘Pata Ya Matebele’ area. 

He explained that the dam received water that overflows from the Shashe and Ntimbale dams which means that currently the Shashe Dam which has a water holding capacity of 85 million cubic metres and Ntimbale Dams with a 26.5 million cubic metres holding capacity are also full to capacity and overflowing.

He said both dams, Shashe and Ntimbale are fed by the Shashe and Tati rivers which continue further east towards Robelela settlement where they meet and feed the Dikgatlhong Dam. 

He said the confluence of the two rivers is right in the middle of the Dikgatlhong Dam and that is why the dam is called the Dikgatlhong Dam. 

The word ‘Dikgatlhong’ is a Setswana word which means meeting point and in this regard the Dikgatlhong Dam is where the Tati and Shashe rivers meet.

The water overflowing from Dikgatlhong Dam drifts on to the Ramokgwebana River located along the Botswana-Zimbabwe border boundary lines.

Regarding the Letsibogo Dam which has a water holding capacity of 104 million cubic metres Mr Baker said the dam is currently 96.9 per cent full and the level is still rising. He said Letsibogo Dam has a water surface area of about 18 square kilometres. 

He said previously, a couple of days ago, the dam was 83 per cent full and the water has been rising due to the heavy rains that were experienced in the past week around the country. 

He said he expected the dam to be filled up to capacity and over flowing by the weekend depending on the inflow of water from Motloutse and Sedibe rivers that provide the dam with water.

He explained that the water level in dams do not rise immediately but depend on the inflow of water from rivers that feed them. 

Water over flowing from the Letsibogo Dam rejoins the Motloutse River route which ultimately trails down to the Limpopo River which is situated along the Botswana and South Africa border.

Mr Baker indicated that water from Dikgatlhong and Letsibogo Dams augments the water supply in the southern part of the country through the North South Water Carrier. 

He noted that the dams also provide water to major villages in the Central District such as Palapye, Serowe and Mahalapye.

In the meantime Mr Baker said Thune Dam located near Molalatau in the Bobirwa area with a water holding capacity of 90 million cubic metres is currently 71.4 per cent full. 

He explained that Lotsane Dam in Tswapong area with a water holding capacity of 42.35 million cubic metres is currently at 70.4 per cent full and filling up slowly.

He went on to mention that the current water levels in dams located in the southern part of the country such as Gaborone Dam with a water holding capacity of 141 million cubic metres is 75 per cent full, Molatedi Dam with a full capacity of 201 million cubic meters is at 39.6 per cent full while Bokaa Dam with a water holding capacity of 18.5 million cubic metres is 66.4 per cent full while Nnywane Dam with a capacity of 2.3 million cubic metres is currently at 82.2 per cent full. ENDS