DWS steps up deployment of water tanks and tankers to desperate Gauteng communities
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in Gauteng has stepped up efforts to relieve water shortages by delivering 852 water tanks and 20 tankers to water-stressed communities that have the least capacity to avert the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the province and thus flattening the curve.
In a united effort to curb the spread of the virus pandemic, the Department is working collaboratively with Rand Water and municipalities to provide water to desperate communities in the most densely populated informal settlements to reduce chances of the virus passing from one person to the other.
Various areas in the province, including Roodepoort, Soweto, and Ennerdale in the City of Johannesburg, Hammanskraal in the City of Tshwane, benefitted from the effort. Other areas that benefitted include municipalities in the West Rand District Municipality, as well as Benoni in the City of Ekurhuleni.
Roodepoort received 100 water tanks with a capacity of 2500 litres while Soweto got 194x2500 litres and 16x5000 litres capacity tanks.
Hammanskraal got assistance with 57 water tanks of which 37 have a capacity of 2500 litres and the rest have a capacity of 5000 litres. Additional to this, 9 water tankers were also delivered.
In Benoni, 70 water tanks with a capacity of 2500 litres and 4 water tankers were delivered.
The West Rand District Municipality also got a shot in the arm in the form of 126x5000 litres water tanks together with 3 water tankers. The Lesedi Local Municipality got 34x2500 litres water tanks and 2 water tankers. The Midvaal Local Municipality was the recipient of 34x2500 litres of water tanks with 2 water tankers.
A total 95 water tanks were delivered in Merafong Local Municipality (40x10000 litres, 17x2500 litres and 38x 5000 litres)
In Mogale City, 33 water tankers (10x10000 and 23x5000 litres) were delivered.
Sibusiso Mthembu, DWS’ Gauteng Provincial Head, said Gauteng’s infection rate as the country’s epicentre of the virus was not going up steeply since the lockdown but was still rising. This needed everyone to put his/her shoulder to the wheel to stem the infections.
Mthembu said the deployment of water tanks and tankers had increased significantly since Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s announcement to provide water to destitute communities, adding that over time this would reduce the number of infections.
He said: “The main objective of the Department is to work in partnership with every stakeholder to prevent the spread of the virus and this would not happen by chance. We need to accelerate our collective efforts to ensure that decisive steps are taken to deal with the deadly virus. We need to do our best to keep the number of infections low.”
Enquiries:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
Hosia Sithole
Cell: 082 723 2442
