BY CEDRIC SWANKA
Residents of Molepolole village, the most populous village in Botswana according to the 2011 Population and Housing Census, have been experiencing a severe water shortage since forever. Historically water shortage is not a new problem to Molepolole. The village has been experiencing occasional dry spells for as far back as ones memory can remember albeit spanning for relatively short periods of time, perhaps a week at worst.
According to some residents the situation at some point gotten so dire that the national water carrier – Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) resorted to bowsing.
The situation forced the government to initiate a water transfer projects which are expected to address the situation both in short and long term.
This week, Junior Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services ÔÇô Itumeleng Moipisi said that by the end of August 2019 water supply for Molepolole village will increase because of a supply from Thamaga village.
“My ministry is currently testing and commissioning the Mmamashia-Kanye NSC connection project that will supply Thamaga with water”, Moipisi said. In turn, Thamaga is expected to pass on the water to Molepolole.
Meanwhile another project dubbed Malwelwe ÔÇô Molepolole project which has been funded by the World Bank loan with an amount of a P100 million is expected to go to tender. The project entails equipping and electrifying the six new boreholes, construction of interconnection pipelines, upgrading of Malwelwe booster pump station, construction of a 32 kilometre transfer pipeline from Malwelwe booster pump station to Gaotlhobogwe water treatment plant (WTP). As well as refurbishment and upgrades of pumps at the Gaotlhobogwe water treatment plant.
Moipisi told Parliament that, “The advertisement for prequalification of the bidders is expected to be issued by end of August 2019. The procurement of design and build contractor for World Bank funded project has to be done in three stages being prequalification, technical and financial stages”, said Moipisi.
He added that the whole procurement process is expected to be completed by March 2020 while the project duration for implementing design and construction is estimated to be 12 months
“The awarded design and Build contractor is expected to commence works in June 2020 and complete by June 2021”, concluded Moipisi.
