Picture: Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu visiting water project in Zeerust/Supplied

By BAKANG MOKOTO

Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu said he will ensure that Operation Bulela Metsi meets its obligations to the people of Dinokana and ultimately the whole province. Mchunu said they have invested R106 million into the Dinokana Water Supply Intervention Project that is implemented by Magalies Water in Zeerust.

He further said, the Dinokana Water Project, is one of the 27 water and sanitation projects under Operation Bulela Metsi that were unlocked and reprioritised as a result of intergovernmental interventions led by his office and the North West Provincial Government (NWPG) early this year.

Mnchunu added that he conducted an oversight at the construction sites of the water project and met with the community of Dinokana.

“The delegation was taken through the ‘sacred’ Dinokana Eye, a natural spring where the source of the water and the pump station are located and also conducted a walkabout at the site where a 15-kilometer bulk pipeline is being laid.

“Through the intergovernmental structures set in the province and the constitutional mandate of each institution, the program will ensure that every household has access to water through a standpipe. So, the people need to be patient as the projects are being implemented in phases,” he said.

Mchunu said they are happy that, there is progress and that ultimately, water will reach everyone who needs to benefit from the project. He said they are now here to point to the work that is currently being carried out.

“Refurbishing the pump station is critical so that all the pumps are working optimally in order to pump the required quantities and be able to meet the demand of these communities in the four wards.

“The project scope underway entails the refurbishment and upgrade of the Dinokana Rural Water Supply Infrastructure, which consists of high lift pump refurbishment and upgrade from 2 Ml/day to 4 Ml/day, refurbishment of boreholes, upgrading of spring water pump station and pipeline, refurbishment of the distribution system up to the bulk water reservoirs and constructing an additional 2 Ml reservoir to provide additional gravity pressure,” said Mchunu.

He said already over 1000 metres of the bulk pipeline has been laid, works on the refurbishment work have commenced, and work on the bulk distribution network has also commenced. Mchunu said that 17 local people benefited through the Dinokana Water Supply Intervention project, and 5 more job opportunities will in the future be added to benefit 25 locals each per ward.

“We encourage those with illegal water connections to report to the local mayor to be legally connected for free. This way, they won’t face the wrath of the law. We also call on the community to safeguard the infrastructure.

“Connecting water illegally damages the pipes and further assigned one of the local youth in Dinokana to lead in the fight against vandalism of the water infrastructure. Dinokana Water Supply intervention project which commenced on the 30 September 2023, is expected to be completed on the 30 September 2024,” said Mchunu.

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