Beaufort gets gift of water
TWO million litres of water a day has been added to the dwindling resources of the drought-stricken Beaufort West municipality.
This after humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers unveiled the Beaufort West Witperd Aquifer Development Project yesterday.
Taps opened after midday yesterday, pumping water from new aquifers into the Gamka Dam pipeline and onwards into the town’s water reservoir.
The University of the Free State conducted free testing of all water samples for the project and Hose Manufacturers Africa contributed two complete borehole systems at no cost.
Beaufort West has been severely affected by the drought, with all surface water drying up. The town now relies on 32 boreholes
and a Water Reclamation Plant for its water needs.
Gift of the Givers corporate liaison manager Badr Kazi said: “We started this project at the beginning of November. It has taken us over six weeks to get to a point where we are able to put water into the aquifer and then straight into the reservoir. The town will not run dry.”
Rather than being a mere Band-Aid measure, the aquifer water would give the municipality time to explore alternative and longer term plans to meet escalating demand.
“If there is no rain at all, Beaufort West will have a relatively strong water source. There are more than 37 000 people that need water every day,” he said.
Acting Municipal Manager Kosie Haarhoff said the development was a welcome intervention.
“In 2010 we had similar (drought) problems. Now it is recurring. We are looking at longer-term solutions, where we want to connect the town to the Gariep Dam through a pipeline,” he added.
This plan could provide water to the region for 10-20 years. The average level for dams across the province is 32%. Last year at the same time, this figure stood at 52%.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said: “We see areas like Beaufort West continuing to struggle with surface water, which dried up a few months ago. The central Karoo has been a critical area for some time. The province has over the past few years installed boreholes and water supply systems to ensure communities do not run out of water.”
Bredell hailed organisations assisting with drought alleviation, including Gift of the Givers. The provincial treasury’s recent R95 million budget allocation to the Department of Local Government would assist with ongoing drought management.
“R25m will be used to provide additional drought relief and R55m will go towards water augmentation initiatives, including boreholes in drought-affected parts of the province,” said Bredell.
IF A car or a bicycle is stolen, it is likely to disrupt individuals; this is no excuse to steal, and such thieves should land in jail.
Yesterday morning, we heard that Metrorail’s services in several regions were suspended due to cable (copper cable) theft.
This action is taking place on a grand scale throughout South Africa, inconveniencing thousands of commuters and hundreds of businesses, and helps in no small measure to deplete the state coffers and the pockets of taxpayers.
This is not theft, but sabotage, and perpetrators should be regarded as saboteurs and dealt with accordingly.
Repeated criticism of the corrupt practices of our senior leaders are starting to bear fruit; it is past time to deal mercilessly with saboteurs; they are a real threat to the economy, in stark contrast to hard-working capitalists. Ben Smit Melkbosstrand