Orlando Chauke
LIMPOPO – Residents in Giyani might face a serious shortage of water if it does not rain before the end of November, according to the Mopani District Municipality, which manages the water supply in the district.
The two dams, Klein Letaba and Nsami, which supply the people of Giyani with water, are said to be at 29% and 33% respectively. “As of now the situation is still manageable but it won’t stay this way if it does not rain before the end of November,” explained Neil Shikwambana, municipal spokesperson.
This comes on the heels of the municipality’s announcement that Thapane Dam has dried up, which left 90 000 residents in the area at the risk of a possible water shortage. The dam is the main source of water in the Relela area.
The dryng up of this dam has led to the district municipality requesting intervention in the form of emergency funding from the Department of Water and Sanitation in order to help minimise the situation.
“Currently, the district municipality is supplying water to the area through a limited number of boreholes and water tankers,” he continued.
He further assured the people in the affected area that the municipality will do its best to ensure they have access to water while awaiting the much-needed rain.
The municiality also implored people to utilise the water available sparingly to avert further challenges.
“This also applies in the areas such as Giyani where we’re anticipating a similar situation if it does not rain soon,” he said.
