Isithombe: Ithimba le-Presidential eThekwini Working Group, elihlanganisa abaholi abaphezulu boMasipala waseThekwini, abameleli beHhovisi likaMongameli, kanye namalungu abezindaba, livakashele indawo okwakhiwa kuyo i-uMkhomazi Water Scheme namuhla ukuze lihlole inqubekelaphambili yomsebenzi.
UMasipala Omkhulu waseThekwini uyaqhubeka ngamandla nokwakha amaphrojekthi engqalasizinda yamanzi abiza izigidigidi zamarandi, okuhloswe ngawo ukuqinisa ukuvikeleka kwamanzi, ukuzinzisa ukutholakala kwawo kanye nokuthuthukisa ukulethwa kwezinsiza kuwo wonke amadolobha aseThekwini.
Uhlelo lwe-Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme, oluhlanganisa idamu lokugcina amanzi, indawo yokudonsa amanzi kanye nesikhungo sokuhlanza amanzi, selungene esigabeni sesibili esibiza u-R11 billion.
“Uma seluphothuliwe, lolu hlelo luzokhiqiza amalitha amanzi ayizigidi eziyi-100 ngosuku (100 megalitres). Kulawo manzi, amalitha ayizigidi ezingama-75 ngosuku azohlinzekwa kuMasipala waseThekwini. Leli nani lizokwazi ukuhlinzeka zonke izindawo eziseningizimu, kusukela eSiphingo kuya eMkhomazi.
“Amanzi ahlinzekwa kulezi zindawo njengamanje azobe eseqondiselwa ezindaweni ezimaphakathi, ezisenyakatho kanye nezisentshonalanga ekude ukuze kuqhubeke ukuzinzisa ukuhlinzekwa kwamanzi,” kusho iMeya yoMkhandlu waseThekwini, uKhansela Cyril Xaba, ngesikhathi sengxoxo nabezindaba ngoLwesine echaza inqubekelaphambili yeQembu Elisebenzayo Likamongameli eThekwini.
Isigaba sokuqala sigxile ezingxenyeni zamanzi angakahlanjululwa, okuhlanganisa izinhlelo zaseNgwadini naseGoodenough, kanti isigaba sesibili sizohlinzeka ngengqalasizinda yamanzi okuphuza.
Le ngqalasizinda ihlanganisa isikhungo sokuhlanza amanzi esinamandla okukhiqiza ama-100 ML ngosuku, amapayipi asebenzisa amandla adonsela phansi kanye nokwandiswa kwamadamu okugcina amanzi.
IMeya ithe sekube khona inqubekelaphambili enkulu kulolu hlelo lwe-Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme.
“Ngesonto eledlule sethule usonkontileka ozokuqala isigaba sesibili sokwakhiwa kwe-Water Treatment Works. Nakuba iphrojekthi ibambezeleke ngenxa yezinqubo zomthetho, i-Umgeni-uThukela Water izibophezele ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi ngasekupheleni konyaka ozayo sizoqala ukuthola amanzi avela kulolu hlelo,” kusho yena.
IQembu Elisebenzayo Likamongameli eThekwini lihola amaphrojekthi engqalasizinda futhi libonisa ukusebenza kahle kwalo ekuhlanganiseni nasekusheshiseni izinyathelo zokubhekana nezinselelo ezisemqoka zentuthuko, ingqalasizinda, umnotho kanye nokulethwa kwezinsiza ngaphakathi koMasipala Omkhulu waseThekwini.
Leli qembu liphinde lihlose ukuqinisa ukubambisana phakathi kukahulumeni kazwelonke, wesifundazwe nowasekhaya, kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuxhumana okungcono nokubandakanywa kwabathintekayo mayelana nenqubekelaphambili eseyenziwe.
“Ngokokuqala eminyakeni emihlanu, wonke amadamu ethu amakhulu okugcina amanzi ahlala ezinzile ngesikhathi samaholide okuphela konyaka, kanti izikhungo zokuhlanza amanzi zaseDurban Heights, Wiggins kanye neMidmar bezisebenza ngokugcwele.
“Lokhu kuholele ekutheni imiphakathi esenyakatho, eningizimu kanye nasezindaweni ezimaphakathi ithole amanzi ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka, futhi ngiyajabula ukuthi lesi simo siqhubekile nangemva kwesikhathi samaholide,” kusho uXaba.
Lokhu kungenxa yokutshalwa kwezimali ku-Northern Aqueduct, kanye nokulungiswa nokuthuthukiswa kweNtuzuma Pump Station, okube nomthelela omkhulu ekuzinzeni kokuhlinzekwa kwamanzi ezindaweni ezisenyakatho.
Iphrojekthi ye-Southern Aqueduct ebiza u-R1.2 billion, enepayipi elikhulu elingamakhilomitha angama-24, ihlanganisa ukushintshwa kwepayipi likakhonkolo elineminyaka engu-70 ubudala nelinobubanzi obungu-900 mm kufakwe elensimbi elinobubanzi obungu-1 200 mm. Kulindeleke ukuthi lokhu kuzinzise ukuhlinzekwa kwamanzi kusukela enkabeni yeTheku kuya ezindaweni eziseningizimu.
Lolu hlelo luhlinzeka amanzi kubantu ababalelwa ezigidini eziyi-1.2 ngokusebenzisa amadamu okugcina amanzi angama-33 futhi lungenye yamaphrojekthi abaluleke kakhulu engqalasizinda yamanzi edolobheni. Inhloso yalo ukuthuthukisa inethiwekhi enkulu yamanzi, ukunciphisa ukulahleka kwamanzi kanye nokwenza ngcono ukulethwa kwezinsiza zamanzi.
“Siphinde senza inqubekelaphambili enhle kakhulu ekuthuthukisweni kweSouthern Aqueduct, njengoba izingxenye eziningana zomsebenzi sezivele ziphothuliwe. Siyaqiniseka ukuthi le phrojekthi ka-R1.2 billion izophothulwa ngoDisemba kulo nyaka, ilethe impumuzo ebilindelwe kubahlali abayizigidi eziyi-1.2 abahlala eningizimu yeTheku,” kusho iMeya.
Ingxenye yokuqala yomsebenzi (Work Package One) isiqalile ukusebenza ngempumelelo. Le ngxenye entsha ihlanganisa cishe amakhilomitha amane epayipi lensimbi elisha, elixhumanisa iWestcliff Reservoir, iChatsworth Reservoir 1 kanye namanye amadamu asezansi eMlazi.
Ingxenye yesithathu yomsebenzi (Work Package Three) isahlelelwe ukuqala ukusebenza ekupheleni kukaMeyi.
Umsebenzi uyaqhubeka ekufakweni kwepayipi likakhonkolo kuNorthbourne Road eWestville. Ukufakwa kwamapayipi kwakuhlelelwe ukuqala mhla zingama-27 kuNhlaba 2026.
Ngenxa yokuthi uhlelo lwalungakwazi ukusebenza ngokugcwele ngemva kokuvalwa okuhleliwe kanye nemisebenzi yokuxhumanisa amapayipi, kwasetshenziswa uhlelo lokwabiwa kwamanzi oluphuthumayo kwaze kwaba mhla zingama-27 kuNhlaba 2026.
Kubhekwe ukubambezeleka esigabeni sokulungiselela ngenxa yezintambo ze-fibre kanye nezintambo zikagesi ebezitholakala endaweni yokwakha. – SAnews.gov.za
