THE urgent doubling of the Tugela-Goedertrouw Transfer Scheme (TGS) pipeline has still not begun, despite prior assurances contractors would be approved and ready for site inspection on 1 November.
The R407-million turnkey project is set to double the river-to-dam rate of transfer from the present 1.1m3 per second to 2.4m3 per second.
The race against time is being lost: even if the drought is broken soon, industry in the region is facing collapse without the water transfer augmentation.
With time running out before the last residue of usable water trickles from Goedertrouw and brings industry to a deadly standstill, the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS) has failed to quell the fears of anxious stakeholders.
Delays in the project, which would take a minimum of 12 months to complete, are understood to be linked to the tender process.
A terse email from DWS last week simply stated: ‘The TGS scheme is still under procurement and at our Bid Adjudication Committee.’
In response, a letter sent by the uThungulu (King Cetshwayo District) Drought Crisis Committee to the Acting Director DWS last week, while politely worded, left no uncertainty as to the scale of disaster that looms if the project does not quickly get back on track.
They wrote: ‘The Tugela Goedertrouw transfer system is such a vital component in the water supply system to the region that failure to implement the project with extreme urgency will have catastrophic consequences for the region and its people resulting in unprecedented job losses, loss of food security and the social and economic collapse of key industrial centres in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
‘As it currently stands, the project is six months behind the original schedule that was based on the business plan that was submitted to the Department on May 2016.
‘We are now on the critical path to failure, if the project is not implemented within the next couple of weeks.’
Experience required
The Drought Crisis Committee also wrote: ‘As much as the project is of extreme importance to the region, it is critically important that a very experienced and proficient company is awarded the tender to implement the upgrade.
‘We would therefore urge that the Department not necessarily award the contract to the lowest tenderer, but that emphasis is placed on their ability to complete the project as per design within the given timeline.’
Meanwhile, the message continues to be spread that the good rains received in the region over the past three months have not fallen in the Goedertrouw catchment area.
The dam thus remains at a critical level, around 19.35%, and the count-down to total water supply failure is now being calculated in mere weeks, despite the current water restrictions.
Even the doubling of the Tugela Transfer Scheme will only extend water availability to around November 2017 unless the drought cycle is broken and resources (dams, rivers, water tables) are significantly recharged.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
