19 Dec 2024

The Minister of Water and Human Settlement, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi says sewerage ponds posed a threat to residents of Gumare and their livestock due to the dilapidated perimeter fence and elephant buffer spikes.

Answering a question in Parliament on December 18, Mr Ramogapi said Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) was implementing immediate and medium term measures to reduce the risk to people and their livestock.

He said the short-term measures were ongoing and included maintenance of the surroundings, as well as monitoring for safe disposal of wastewater at the ponds.

Mr Ramogapi said in the medium term, they would provide an electrified perimeter fence and refurbish existing elephant buffer spikes around Gumare sewerage ponds during the current financial year.

The tender for the project, Mr Ramogapi said was recently awarded and expected to be completed in February 2025. “Installation of an electric fence around the perimeter will improve security and restrict unauthorised access, potentially reducing vandalism and illegal disposal.

The elephant buffer spikes together with the electrified perimeter fence will deter elephants and other domestic animals from entering the ponds,” he said.

The minister said water supply, treatment and distribution was primarily based on power supply from the national grid but of recent, they have experienced sporadic power outages in Ngami and Okavango districts which negatively affected water supply reliability to Gumare, Etsha and Nokaneng, he said.

Mr Ramogapi said WUC was considering alternative power sources such as solar energy for remote boreholes and installation of standby generators at strategic installations.

So far, Xaixai and Nxaunxau boreholes were equipped with solar, and more were targeted in the financial year 25/26. He said the ministry was not aware of unacceptable quality of drinking water supplied to villages of Nokaneng, Dhanega, Habu, Qangwa and Xaixai and confirmed that water supplied to these villages met Water Quality Standards.

“The stringent requirements of this standard enables implementation of a Water Quality Monitoring Programme that provides safe drinking water to all Batswana,” he said and added that WUC had engaged stakeholders to guard against the pipeline and identify main causes of breakages.

Ngami MP, Mr Phillimon Aaron had asked the minister if he was aware of the current state of the Gumare Sewage pond, the health and economic impact to residents and their livestock in general.

He wanted to know what caused erratic water supply to Etsha, Gumare and Nokaneng and whether he was aware of the unacceptable quality of drinking water supplied to  Nokaneng, Dhanega, Habu, Qangwa and Xaixai and the health issues that people of those areas suffer from, including deaths. Ends