09 May 2022

Construction of Mmamashia-Gamononyane-Molepolole water pipeline is on track, Molepolole South MP Mr Kabo Morwaeng said Friday as he returned from a tour of Mantsho and Mosinki project sites. The pump station and reservoir tank are being constructed at the two areas respectively. 

“I am happy with progress being made. This, infrastructure development is an indication of government’s commitment to bring water to Molepolole and neigbouring villages,” he said, and pleaded with the public to be patient as the project would surely deliver. 

Mr Morwaeng commended the contractor for making progress despite challenges brought about by recent heavy rains. 

He expressed hope that the project would be delivering water to the villages by March next year as that would pave way for water reticulation and expansion of sewage network for Molepolole, scheduled for the next financial year. 

The project’s senior resident engineer, Mr Walter Akhosi said the project which was commissioned last year September was due for completion in March next year. 

It was currently 23 percent complete with most of the 43 kilometre pipe laying from Gamononyane Pump Station to Molepolole almost complete, he said. 

Mr Akhosi indicated that the project took off slowly owing to heavy rains, with the biggest challenge coming in April. 

“It drew us back, as water flooded our already laid-out steel pipes, which we now had to remove, then redo the bedding and re-lay,” he explained. 

This chewed away a precious two weeks of the project. He said besides the rains and delays emanating from the land acquisition process, the project was progressing well. 

In all, 43 property owners along the road had already been compensated, he said. 

He warned however that the war in Ukraine could affect progress as it had led to a sharp increase in steel pipes prices, forcing them to change specification for the pipe material. 

In the interim to mitigate against current water supply challenges in Molepolole, Water Utilities Corperation continues to bowse affected areas. 

Government is funding the project, which is one of several across the country, to the tune of over P800 million. Ends