Fri, 8 Nov 2024
22.7 C
Durban

R12.5m for Kouga drought-relief

Home Government & Municipal R12.5m for Kouga drought-relief

MILLIONS will be streaming into Kouga’s coffers to help the municipality secure extra water for the drought-stricken region.

A funding application for more than R80 million for drought-relief, submitted by Kouga Municipality, has been partially approved by the Department of Co-Operative Governance (COGTA) and the decision promulgated in the Government Gazette.

Welcoming the allocation of R12.5 million, Kouga Executive Mayor, Horatio Hendricks, said the funds will be used for the development and equipping of four boreholes in Humansdorp.

“The development of the boreholes has already been initiated in Humansdorp, and the funding will be directed to this project which is intended to connect the borehole water to the Humansdorp Water Treatment Works,” he said.

According to Hendricks, the additional boreholes with an estimated 1 700kl/day yield, will benefit 8,229 households, two hospitals, and seven schools.

Funding applied for, but not approved by COGTA, include the development of the existing borehole field to the west of Hankey, the treatment of the additional saline borehole water at the Hankey Water Treatment Works, and groundwater exploration and the drilling and equipping of boreholes in Thornhill.

Also on the list was the development of existing boreholes and a desalination plant for St Francis Bay, and an upgrade of the water treatment plant in Jeffreys Bay to remove dissolved iron and manganese from the groundwater.

“I thank our municipal officials for the hard work that went into compiling the applications, and the Kouga Council for ensuring that the municipality could be trusted to spend the allocation well,” said Hendricks.

“It is a great win for our communities and will have a huge impact on the municipality’s ability to supply water to residents in a sustainable manner.”

Most Popular

Sponsored News: Scope for private steam turbines to feed the grid – Weg Africa

STEAM turbines represent mission critical equipment for a range of industries from sugar and paper to steel and petrochemicals, and there is now greater...

Investment in EC cold storage facility boosts regional export capacity

COMMERCIAL Cold Holdings (CCH) has made a significant move to expand South Africa’s cold chain infrastructure by investing in CCH Greenbushes, a state-of-the-art commercial...

Regional development agency sells, leases and invests in diverse R1,4bn property portfolio

THE Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is rolling out a R546 million refurbishment programme of its R1,370 billion property portfolio which it says is...

Supporting crop productivity for SA’s large- and small-scale farmers

OPINION | AGRICULTURE is synonymous with food production and, in South Africa especially, employment creation. But the sector’s importance extends into the socio-economic realm...