NEWS in brief
Around Africa high with a capacity of one million cubic metres. This is the same capacity as the La Gogue dam.”
This will yield approximately 12,000 cubic metres of water per day, which Morin says will cover the western region. The same water can be pumped and distributed to Takamaka in the south and as far down to Pointe Larue on the east coast.
The water demand for the 93,000 inhabitants of the island nation is between 38,000 to 40,000 cubic metres per day. Morin adds that“ currently we are looking at consultants with the ability to deliver the design. We hope that this process will take approximately one year.”
After which the corporation will be in a better position to approach loan agencies for the actual construction of the dam. The African Development Bank has already given a grant of $ 1 million for the study and design.
Morin said that with the support of the government they will approach different agencies such as European Investment bank, Agence France de Development, Saudi Fund, Abu Dhabi fund for development for the funds necessary for the implementation of the project.
The corporation has announced that it is also exploring the possibility of constructing the first dam on Praslin- the second most populated island of the Seychelles- an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.
South Africa
National Disaster Centre Declined to Help Thirsty Beaufort West – Province
The National Disaster Management Centre declined a request to provide droughtstricken Beaufort West with emergency funding due to the initial stated terms, the Western Cape Local Government Department said recently. However, the province was re-negotiating the terms, said James-Brent Styan, spokesperson for Western Cape local government MEC Anton Bredell.
Beaufort West’ s 37 000 residents have been getting their water supply from 32 boreholes and a water reclamation plant since the Gamka Dam dried up earlier this year. However, after engaging with various stakeholders, the provincial Local Government Department sourced R23m, department spokesperson Rowena Kellies said in a statement.
The money is expected to be used to fund another five boreholes. Add to that an additional two boreholes, which two donors have offered to equip and drill, Kellies said. Currently, 16 % of the town’ s water needs are being supplied by a reclamation plant and 84 % by boreholes.
Graham Paulse, head of the Department of Local Government, said the situation in the municipality was being monitored daily.
“ The department would like to encourage the public to remain calm during this period. Through collective watersaving initiatives, as well as close inter-sectorial collaboration, the potential of severe water disruptions [ can ] be avoided,” Paulse said.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs departmental spokesperson Legadima Leso did not respond to a request for comment. The National Disaster Management Centre is part of the department’ s portfolio.
Styan previously said that, aside from Beaufort West, the areas worst affected by the Western Cape drought included the City of Cape Town, Kannaland, Knysna and Bitou.
The province was declared a provincial disaster area in May.
“ The provincial disaster management centre has been activated and continues to monitor the situation across the province,” Styan said.
Tanzania
Relief in Sight, Thanks to Tsh 3.9 Billion Water Enterprise
The Treasury has released Tsh 3.9bn( US $ 1.7million) to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to support drilling and construction of boreholes in the country’ s most affected areas.
The minister, Engineer Isack Kamwelwe, told the National
Assembly here recently that the Ministry of Finance and Planning had already released the money to support the campaign dubbed‘ Mtoe Mama Ndoo Kichwani’, which loosely translates as‘ Lift a water bucket from a woman’ s head’.
He was responding to a supplementary question by Special Seats MP Ms Ruth Mollel( Chadema), who had asked why the government had not embarked on drilling at least shallow boreholes, especially in areas facing acute water shortage.
8 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November- December 2017