By OBAKENG MAJE
The Department of Water and Sanitation(DWS) in partnership with The Danish Environmental Protection Agency from Denmark, Magalies Water Board and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, conducted a site visit to the Dinokana Water Scheme recently.
The visit was part of the South Africa and Denmark Cooperation Strategic government-to-government partnership in the water sector. The Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was signed in November 2015 by the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Danish Minister of Environment and Food to improve the framework conditions of the South African water sector.
Mavasa further said this initiative is also set to improve the investor attractiveness of the water sector in support of the realization of the Sustainable Development Goal 6.
He added that, Dinokana area has been selected for piloting of the implementation of protection zoning guideline, which aims creating a guidance document outlining knowledge-based management and precautionary management approaches that may be used to protect groundwater resources from pollution sources through delineation aquifer protection zones in Dinokana.
“This means an increased water resilience on human activities with less economic costs on treatment of drinking water, indirect protection of groundwater dependent surface water bodies such as wetlands, lakes and rivers and to assist on frequency of groundwater monitoring.
“This also entails procedures for reporting compliance issues should contamination of water resources occur. The site visit consisted of a close examination of operation and maintenance of boreholes in Matlhase Wellfield to observe and monitor its water supply and its ground water quality,” said Mavasa.
He said there was also an oversight of Dinokana in the Upper and Lower eye, which is the main source of water. Mavasa said the delegation assessed progress made in the upgrade of a spring water pump station under the Dinokana Water Supply Project launched by Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu in October last year.
“The project funded under Water Service Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) also includes refurbishing Dinokana Upper Eye Pump Station. To date, the pump station interior, paintwork, broken pumps, leaking and non-functional valves and the control panel have been repaired, replaced, and restored,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chief of Bahurutshe Ba Ga Moiloa Tribal Authority, Kgosi Mosiameemang Moiloa, welcomed the visit by the delegation and said that he was anticipating the team’s findings and recommendations, which will ensure continuous flow of water in his land.
TaungDailyNews 