Question NW2577 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
31 August 2015 - NW2577
Macpherson, Mr DW to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
What provisions are being made to assist the municipalities of (a) uMshwathi, (b) Richmond and (c) Mkhambathini with water relief to (i) residents, (ii) commercial farmers and (iii) subsistence farmers?
Reply:
The Umgungundlovu District Municipality (DM) is the Water Services Authority (WSA) responsible for water provision in the uMshwathi, Richmond and Mkhambathini Local Municipalities (LMs). The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is assisting with water relief to the Umgungundlovu DM by the provisioning of water services through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) and the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MWIG).
(a) The Umgeni Water is implementing the uMshwathi Regional Bulk pipeline which is co-funded by Umgeni Water and the DWS’s RBIG programme. The secondary bulk components of the scheme are being implemented by the Umgungundlovu DM with support from the DWS’s MWIG programme. The scheme will supply water from the Mgeni supply system to the uMshwathi LM area.
(b) The Umgeni Water has recently commissioned the Eston bulk pipeline which is supplying water from the Mgeni supply system to the Richmond area. The scheme was co-funded by the Umgeni Water and DWS through the RBIG programme.
(c) There are no projects being supported by the DWS in the Mkhambathini LM. Support for water for commercial and subsistence farmers is the responsibility of the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and an Inter-Ministerial Task Team has been established to address the impacts of the current drought in the Province. The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has provided inputs on the drought interventions in the Province at consultation sessions that are being led by the Disaster Management Unit of the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
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