Problems near municipal farming project
They are blocking of the canal in the Doornfontein area to get the water.
Water use at a municipal farming project near Khutsong Extension 5 might be causing other problems.
A councillor from Carletonville, Carlos Rebelo, says a resident sent a photo to him on Friday of a hole that seems to have washed out on the gravel road next to the pipeline leading from the Adatta reservoirs toward Khutsong Extension 5.
“He complained that a lot of water sometimes flowed down the road and was very worried that the hole might be the start of a sinkhole,” says Rebelo.
On Monday morning, the hole was luckily not yet that big. It will, however, have to be checked out as it looks like other holes in the area that have developed into sinkholes in the past. Meanwhile, the road was dry but there were white water marks on it.
The marks lead all the way from the canal that leads polluted mine water through the area to a municipal farming project about a 100 metres further.
Rebelo noted that this informal farming project was started by the agricultural sector of the municipality’s local economic development (LED) section.
This after there was an issue over it when the informal farmers wanted to establish their vegetable gardens on private land next to Carletonville Extension 9 in April this year.
One of the informal farmers confirmed that they were using some of the mine water from the canal as the municipality did not give them access to other water. There are pieces of plastic and wooden poles laying next to the canal that the informal farmers use to block the canal off to channel water to their crops. It is possible that the water being channeled down the road formed the hole.
“The municipality will have to check this out as one does not know what lies underneath. If the hole is left unattended with the water streaming continuously, it can lead to a sinkhole. A sinkhole so close to the pipeline can easily damage it,” Rebelo laments.
It is also unclear to what extent the water in the canal is polluted or whether the farmers have permission to use it.
“The utilization of mine water by residents was not done with the municipality and that cannot be permitted. One has to apply for water use license for any water usage. The water quality must be known. The area will be visited by relevant Water Quality team for more detailed report and action will be taken accordingly. Before the permission can be granted there are processes to be followed that include the water use license,” the municipality’s manager of marketing and communications, Temba Fezani answered.
