Over 700 000 to benefit from NSC 2.2
03 Oct 2024
An estimated 700 000 plus people from a total of 100 villages will benefit from the North South Water Carrier 2.2 that was commissioned by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Mmamashia on Thursday.
When commissioning the project, the President said the delivery of the P5.6 billion NSC 2.2 water project was commitment of government’s ambitious journey towards sustainable water supply that had been carried countrywide with major water infrastructural projects.
He said since 2019, the government was steadfast on its commitment to eradicate water deficit around the country.
The President said apart from the fact that water was life, it was also a catalyst for delivery of some economic activities, especially farming and revitalisation of some industries essential for development.
He urged Batswana to utilise government flagship programmes to tap into opportunities brought about by water development in order to benefit from the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfcFTA) single continental market for goods and services, which Botswana was a signatory to.
Minister of Lands and Water Affairs, Dr Kefentse Mzwinila said the project was completed to catalyse the process of ensuring water security in the southern part of Botswana.
He said following an instruction from the President in 2018, that all standing water projects should be fast-tracked to ensure water security, the ministry embarked on major water projects from Palapye to Ramatlabama.
Dr Mzwinila said there were plans to also commission the Mmamashia Water Treatment Plant 2 and the laboratory, contributing to some of the major water infrastructure projects in Southern Africa.
“We are accredited in terms of ensuring quality of water and our standards are higher,” he said.
He said Botswana had also become a centre of excellence in terms of water projects infrastructure, management and quality in the continent.
Giving a project overview, Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) chief executive officer, Mr Gaselemogwe Senai said due to the magnitude of the project and its complexity, NSC 2.2 was conducted through opening international bidding, where three contractors were awarded the project.
He said the project was conducted in three phases with each contractor given a section to work on from the north to Mmamashia.
Mr Senai said although the project was awarded to foreign companies, the contractors were working with Batswana through 60/40 share basis.
He said the project would improve the capacity and efficiency of the water supply, pumping about 75million litres of water a day from Dikgatlhong to several pump stations through to Tewane ending in Mmamashia.
Mr Senai expressed satisfaction that the project was delivered on time and within budget.
He said the over 1000 km long NSC 2 would ensure sufficient supply to the southern parts of Botswana, where water demand had over time increased significantly, thereby surpassing the capacity of water resources in the southern parts of Botswana and the North South Carrier 1 pipeline.
“We intend to increase the capacity of this water scheme to ensure that river villages from Sikwane to Ramonaka also benefit from the facility,” he said.
Mr Senai also said villages in Borolong, Kweneng and greater Gaborone would also benefit from this project and assured residents that for the next 20 years, water scarcity would be unheard of.
Villages that will benefit from the scheme include five clusters of Radisele, Tswapong South, Dibete, Molepolole and Kanye, adding that Good Hope/Mabule cluster would also benefit from the NSC 2 pipeline.
For his part, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, also former MP for Mochudi East, Mr Mabuse Pule thanked Dr Mzwinila for the water projects, expressing gratitude that river villages would be connected to the pipeline to end water shortages as they had been dependant on water from Molatedi Dam in South Africa.
Mr Pule thanked contractors for delivering the project as expected, adding that the North South Carrier water project would quench the dry spell that had been bedevilling the Southern part of the country. Ends
Source : BOPA
Author : Mmoniemang Motsamai
Location : MMAMASHIA
Event : Commissioning
Date : 03 Oct 2024