GABORONE — Mmabaledi Tebalo, of the village of Mokobaxane, Boteti region in northern Botswana, along with his mother and brothers, sought shelter from the blazing sun under the shade of a tree. Tebalo, 28, turned on a faucet in a corner of his backyard before clear tap water flowed from the spigot. He first washed his face and then cupped a fistful of water to drink directly.

"The old water was salty, but now it is sweet," he said.

China-built water project

Boteti, more than 100 kilometers from the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans to the north, and adjacent to the Orapa Diamond Mine to the east, generally lacks freshwater resources.

Staff from Botswana Water Utilities Corp said the underground water in the region has excessive salinity and an unpleasant odor, which, when used over long periods, is harmful to one's health. Due to the vastness of the region and the scattered distribution of the villagers, a clean water supply project — which requires significant investment for construction — was not prioritized until recent years.

The Boteti Water Supply Project broke ground by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp Botswana on Feb 13, 2023 and took 18 months to complete. It involved construction of the main water supply infrastructure and support facilities, including 184 km of water pipelines, four booster pump stations, 10 elevated water tanks, three concrete reservoirs, and the design and construction of a water treatment plant. Additionally, two administrative office buildings, living quarters for 10 employees and support facilities for housing electricity, machinery and remote sensing equipment were erected.

Benefits 30,000 people

The water supply project officially began supplying water in September, which makes it possible to provide local villagers with clean tap water, ending the long history of relying on salty water in eight nearby villages, including Mokobaxane. Around 30,000 villagers have benefited from this project.

Tebalo said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that since his birth, he had always used briny water for drinking, cooking and bathing. "Using salty water for a long time is harmful to the body, but we had no other choice," he said.

Villagers in Mokobaxane, one after another, began to call for cleaner drinking water and as a result, their lives have changed for the better since the commissioning of the Chinese-built water supply project in September.

Bomgere Jane, chairperson of the village development committee of Mokobaxane, heaped praise on the clean water supply project. "The Chinese construction company has brought us a great project. The water now is excellent, and life has become much more convenient."

Yang Weimin, project manager with China Civil Engineering Construction Corp Botswana, said the water supply project currently has a daily water treatment capacity of 4,000 cubic meters, which meets the water needs of more than 30,000 people in the Boteti region. The project has provided a total of 140,000 cubic meters of clean tap water to the region since September.

The initiation and completion of the project have helped promote local economic and social development. At its peak, the project employed 600 locals, helping train many technical professionals and increasing local employment, Yang said.

Montgomery Peter, who now works as a driver for the project, said, "The arrival of the Chinese company has not only improved our region's water supply, but also increased our income levels."

Xinhua