Ongoing drought a priority for government
The Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation said it is working with the affected provinces, municipalities, other national departments as well as the private sector.
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GOVERNMENT is working to alleviate the impact of the ongoing drought in pockets of the country.
In a statement, the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation said it is working with the affected provinces, municipalities, other national departments as well as the private sector.
A number of initiatives are being implemented which will take some time to turn the situation around.
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“It is important to note that the current situation follows on the national and regional drought that began in 2014, and which saw a great deal of RSA impacted upon negatively. Even though since late 2017 into 2018 there has been some recovery in large parts of the country, this natural act/phenomenon will take even longer to turn around.
“This is due to the fact that the 2018 and 2019 summer rainfall periods, the country experienced late rains and high temperatures leading to high evaporation rates and very little recharge of the country’s water sources. These are but some of the impacts of climate change which are a reality,” said the department.
While the responsibility for reticulation rests with local government, the department has continued to support the affected municipalities by making water tankers available at the department’s costs.
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