Desperate BCM asks for R121.9m to fight drought

A desperate Buffalo City Metro has submitted business plans requesting R121.9m from the provincial co-operative governance & traditional affairs department to assist with the ongoing drought crisis that has led the city to implement stage three water restrictions.

In a report tabled in council this week, official Bob Naidoo said BCM had requested this amount from the department’s drought relief grant.

Cogta spokesperson Mamnkeli Ngam confirmed the submissions and said: “As per the R100m drought allocation by the provincial government, allocations have been made based on the business plans from the municipalities.

“The process now is at tendering stage for the execution of the prioritised disaster relief projects in municipalities.

“The money will be used for water carting, drilling of boreholes, buying of water tankers, among other things.”

Naidoo said: “The city is moving to stage three of the implementation of water restrictions and punitive tariffs 1B aligned to the approved municipal tariff book, effective from December 21 2019.”

Naidoo said there had been a steady drop in the levels of dams supplying water to BCM in November, indicating the metro remained in a drought situation.

“The Amathole supply system is currently under drought conditions as both the Wriggleswade Dam level and Rooikrantz Dam levels are currently at 40.1% and 33.6% respectively.

“BCM is currently participating in a climate change resilience work stream established by the National Treasury City Support Programme, as well as the provincial drought management task team.”

BCM’s budget for hiring water tankers is exhausted and the city needs an additional budget of R16.7m to hire tankers up to June 2020.

BCM spokesperson Samnkelo Ngwenya told the Daily Dispatch the situation had worsened despite this week’s rainfall.

Ngwenya said on Monday the Laing dam had recorded 100.7%, Sandile 26.7%, Nahoon 49.7%, Rooikrantz 26.2%, Brigle Drift 41.9% and Wriggleswade 35.2%.

The city is moving to stage three of the implementation of water restrictions and punitive tariffs