Almost 12 000 households from 31 villages are set to benefit from a R350-million water project aimed at providing clean drinking water to Nyandeni local municipality residents in OR Tambo district municipality.
The project for the Nyandeni and Ngqeleni corridor will give tens of thousands access to clean drinking water for the first time.
OR Tambo municipal spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa said expenditure currently stood at just over R190-million.
“The district municipality has migrated from standalone schemes to building regional water schemes, which provide an opportunity for the municipality to provide water to the people of the district in an integrated manner,” he said. The project involves construction of 12 huge reservoirs and will be able to deliver 85.5-million litres of water to Nyandeni.
“Construction of six reservoirs, which constitute 45.5 megalitres, has been concluded,” Lungisa said.
In addition, the process of laying pipes for bulk water supply was already at 95% for Libode and at 50% for Ngqeleni.
He said some of the Libode villages that stood to benefit included Maqhingeni, Mamfengwini, Moyeni, Zinkozweni and Mkhankatho, which is the birthplace of well-known philanthropist and Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.
Kupelo, who is also a farmer, said they were excited about the new developments as they had been forced to fetch water from streams for years.
He said the area was one of the hardest hit by the drought conditions, and they hoped the government would also build them dams for their livestock.
Three years ago OR Tambo mayor Nomakhosazana Meth announced that the district authority had resolved to build three mega water schemes to bring an end to water problems that plagued the five local municipalities under its jurisdiction.
One of those involved Mthatha Dam which, once completed, would be able to provide water to KSD and Nyandeni as well as about 5% of Mhlontlo local municipality.
The other two schemes involved the construction of the Ntabelanga Dam, which would cover the rest of Mhlontlo while Mzintlava Dam would provide 100% coverage to both Ingquza Hill and Port St Johns local municipalities upon completion.
— sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Dam project boosts Nyandeni
The project for the Nyandeni and Ngqeleni corridor will give tens of thousands access to clean drinking water for the first time.
OR Tambo municipal spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa said expenditure currently stood at just over R190-million.
“The district municipality has migrated from standalone schemes to building regional water schemes, which provide an opportunity for the municipality to provide water to the people of the district in an integrated manner,” he said. The project involves construction of 12 huge reservoirs and will be able to deliver 85.5-million litres of water to Nyandeni.
“Construction of six reservoirs, which constitute 45.5 megalitres, has been concluded,” Lungisa said.
In addition, the process of laying pipes for bulk water supply was already at 95% for Libode and at 50% for Ngqeleni.
He said some of the Libode villages that stood to benefit included Maqhingeni, Mamfengwini, Moyeni, Zinkozweni and Mkhankatho, which is the birthplace of well-known philanthropist and Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.
Kupelo, who is also a farmer, said they were excited about the new developments as they had been forced to fetch water from streams for years.
He said the area was one of the hardest hit by the drought conditions, and they hoped the government would also build them dams for their livestock.
Three years ago OR Tambo mayor Nomakhosazana Meth announced that the district authority had resolved to build three mega water schemes to bring an end to water problems that plagued the five local municipalities under its jurisdiction.
One of those involved Mthatha Dam which, once completed, would be able to provide water to KSD and Nyandeni as well as about 5% of Mhlontlo local municipality.
The other two schemes involved the construction of the Ntabelanga Dam, which would cover the rest of Mhlontlo while Mzintlava Dam would provide 100% coverage to both Ingquza Hill and Port St Johns local municipalities upon completion.
— sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos