14 Oct 2020

Department of Water and Sanitation in collaboration with other stakeholders are doing their best to address issues of pollution in the Okavango Delta and other water points.

Principal chemist from the department, Mr Badiredi Molelo said this in response to comments from Maun Sub-land Board deputy chairperson, Mr Abel Molelo, who wanted to know if the department was aware of pollution caused by some tourism operators at some water points.

Mr Molelo also wanted to know actions taken to address the matter, noting that some house boats took some days traversing the rivers and questioning when and where they emptied their sanitary tanks.

He noted that the North West District Council once conducted an investigation on the matter and the report confirmed that indeed some tourism operators were polluting the delta. 

He also questioned the water quality.

Mr Molelo explained that his office was aware of the situation, and was working jointly with Botswana Tourism Organisation, which had the power to charge the culprits.

His department, he said, monitored the water quality and stated that efforts were made to check on the level of pollution in the delta.

Principal technician from the department, Mr Goitseone Kebopetswe raised a concern over allocation of plots by the land board along the river front or flood plains.

Mr Kebopetswe called on the land authority to try by all means to avoid such allocations, noting that the pollution of groundwater could permanently affect water quality in aquifers.

He pointed out that allocation of certain activities within the well fields were highly prohibited  such as  those supplying Maun,  namely Shashe, Kunyere, Gomoti, Matsibe, Sexaxa, Tsutsubega and Thamalakane.

Mr Kebopetswe also appraised land board new members about the department’s mandate; explaining steps to be taken in applying for leasing of a borehole. 

He stated that an applicant first had to identify the borehole or buy a borehole location map around their area and apply for it at the department.

He mentioned four possible reasons for rejection of such applications, being a reserved borehole, a borehole for groundwater monitoring or if it had been applied for by another applicant and that the department could not release a borehole without the consent of land board, as it had to acquaint itself with the location of the borehole being applied for.

Mr Kebopetswe revealed that if the land board had no objection, the applicant would be given two options to lease or to purchase the borehole, then apply for water right certificate.

The lease charge, he said, was P3 480 with a 10 per cent interest for four years, which would remain constant for the duration of the lease, or until the applicant showed interest to purchase in writing.

“That is when lease stops and the applicant will be given purchase price, which is P48 000,” he added.

Mr Kebopetswe raised a concern that some people drilled boreholes without acquiring land rights first.  He informed new members about prohibition of use of water without lawful authority.

Water Act section 9 (1) states, ‘that any person who diverts, dams, stores, abstracts, uses, or discharges any effluent into public water or who for any such purpose constructs any works except under and in accordance with the provisions of this Act or of any other written law shall be guilty of an offence and the offender shall be liable to the penalties prescribed in section 37,” he said. ENDS