NW needs R2 billion to become dolomite compliant
19 September 2018
The Democratic Alliance in North West will soon conduct an oversight inspection to Ottoshoop in Ngaka Modiri Molema Municipality, following the Committee meeting on Local Government and Human Settlements on 18 September 2018.
During this meeting it was revealed that a low-cost housing project continued in the Ottoshoop area, despite the danger of dolomitic risk. It further came to light that the Department of Local Government has no dolomite risk management program in place.
The imminent dolomitic threat is worsened by the recent drought that caused a drop in the underground water tables, increasing the risk of sinkholes. The dolomitic areas of Ottoshoop, Tsetse, Khuma and Boikhutso could be further triggered by leaking water pipes, substandard infrastructure and poorly managed surface water drainage.
It is a well-known fact that the corrosion of steel and asbestos pipes is the main cause of water leakages. In order to address this challenge, the pipes need to be upgraded from asbestos to Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), which would cost the Department around R2 billion.