How city will pay for Day Zero
THE expected R200 million budget the City requires to fund the installation of its water collection points will be taken from other departments.
In preparation for Day Zero, set for April 12, the City plans to build 200 water collection points across the city in the event dam levels reach 13.5%.
Once this happens, residents will be able to access water from these points, with each person allocated 25 litres of water a day.
The City’s safety and security executive director, Richard Bosman, said funding for the installation of the water collection points was all internal and reprioritised from department budgets.
“Costing arose based on calculations of the costs of the equipment required as well as the other service costs for the sites, such as security, cleansing and costs related to the staff manning the sites.
“The current (water) crisis takes precedence and the City will do all it can to minimise the impact upon service delivery across the board.”
He said the setting up of the water collection points would be done internally and the criteria for sites included connection to the core reticulation system (pipe network) and enough space to accommodate pedestrian and vehicle water collection traffic.
Level 6B water restrictions will come into effect from Thursday, with dam levels at 26.3% for the province.
Today, DA leader Mmusi Maimane, together with members of the drought crisis team, will provide an update on the progress made to keep Day Zero at bay.
Meanwhile, Gift of the Givers has committed itself to the people of the Western Cape through various planned interventions.
The NGO’s collection of 5-litre bottles of water has already begun through more than 70 collection points throughout South Africa.
Delivery of this water on two trucks to the SANDF military base at Fort Ikapa, Goodwood, started yesterday. It will be stockpiled and then distributed at the most appropriate time.
Drilling of boreholes, dependent on the state of aquifers, was also planned for Khayelitsha, Bonnievale, De Doorns, Ceres, Atlantis and Vredendal.
Gift of the Givers was considering buying its own borehole drilling rig at a cost of R2.5 million to expedite the search for water in these areas.
A list of institutions in urgent need of water, including homes for the elderly, orphanages and homes for the physically and mentally challenged, will be compiled and water will be delivered to them.
Any person who wants to contribute can visit www.giftofthegivers.org or call toll free 0800 786 777.
DAY Zero is virtually inevitable – the situation cannot be reversed as significant rainfall is not guaranteed and water consumption exceeds daily targets.
Four million people face the harsh reality of standing in water queues at 200 distribution points throughout the Western Cape.
This process could last a week, a month or even a whole year depending on the strength of our prayer.
Fortunately, appropriate measures can manage the crisis significantly if not completely. Gift of the Givers has committed itself to the people of the Western Cape through various planned interventions.
Collection of 5-litre bottled water has already commenced in earnest at more than 70 collection points throughout South Africa.
The first delivery of this water on two Gift of the Givers trucks to the SANDF military base at Fort Ikapa, Goodwood, commences this morning. All water will be stockpiled in SANDF military bases in the Western Cape, to be distributed at the most appropriate time.
The drilling of boreholes, dependent on the state of aquifers, are planned for Khayelitsha, Bonnievale, De Doorns, Ceres, Atlantis and Vredendal.
Gift of the Givers is considering buying its own borehole drilling rig at a cost of R2.5 million to expedite the search for water in these and multiple areas of great need.
The drilling process will be supervised by Dr Gideon Groenewald, hydrologist, geologist and palaeontologist. We will consider drilling boreholes at hospitals and schools, and reactivate existing non-functional boreholes dependent on the state of the aquifers, which have to be preserved at all costs.
The setting up of a large number of JoJo tanks in strategic locations is another planned intervention and so is the distribution of hand sanitisers and wet wipes. A key aspect of the intervention is the sourcing of pure, tested, clean drinking water from springs and delivery of that in water tankers to JoJo tanks.
A list of institutions in urgent need of water, including homes for the elderly, orphanages, homes for the physically and mentally challenged, will be compiled and water delivered to them. Co-operation and support from corporates, government departments and the public at large will enhance Gift of the Givers’ capability to intervene meaningfully. Transnet will be engaged to provide trains for transporting water from all parts of South Africa, shipping companies for transport from Durban harbour to Cape Town, and road transporters are called upon to give us modest space on their trucks to Cape Town.
Cash contributions to Gift of the Givers, Standard Bank, Pietermaritzburg, Account Number 052 137 228, Branch Code 057525. Send deposit slip to sooliman@giftofthegivers.org.
Gift of the Givers has been involved in drought relief since October 2015. Last year between August and December we delivered R40 million in fodder to farmers in distress. All interventions are dependent on the availability of resources, public and private support, and time to get to all water points.
Contact Imtiaz Sooliman, 083 236 4029, Badr Kazi 083 228 1298, Allauddin Sayed 083 667 7179, Muhammad Sooliman 081 757 9776. Imtiaz Sooliman Gift of the Givers