The Chief Executive Officer of Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) Fred Maunge last week pleaded with Mmandunyane residents to desist from polluting the nearby Shashe Dam. This, he said, will increase the costs that WUC incurs in purifying dam water for consumption.
Maunge urged Mandunyane residents to be mindful of the fact that the quality of water that is finally consumed by people is largely determined by the activities of the people living within the vicinity of the dam.
“Indiscriminate dumping of dirt and waste in the dam pollutes the water, and we eventually incur additional costs when cleaning it to portable standard,” he said.
He further said that the United Nations (UN) millennium development goals, to which Botswana is a signatory, stipulate that the number of people without clean water and sanitation should be halved by 2015.
WUC also donated a two-roomed house and a toilet to a destitute family in Mandunyane. He said that they decided to donate the toilet because they have a responsibility to promote environmental awareness in the community. He urged residents to find other ways of disposing of waste in a responsible manner that will not have a negative impact on the dam.
Botswana’s 2004 millennium development goal report identifies water as one of the present constrains to development due to a rapid increase in domestic and industrial demand.
“It is therefore upon us to protect sources of water from contamination so as to meet demand. We will also continue to search for more efficient technologies for using household water,” said Maunge.
He added that Botswana has put in place plans through which water resources will be managed to ensure equitable and sustainable utilization of the limited resources at hand.
The National Water Master Plan Review of 2006 states that Botswana’s population is expected to reach 2.1 million in 2030, therefore increasing water demand.
Therefore, said Maunge, it is important for people to use water prudently, as the current annual demand for water in urban areas is rated at 77 000 ml while that of remote areas will be 190 000ml.
