The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has recently appointed three consultants on Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, says Refiloe Tlali, CE of the LHDA.

The three awards, collectively worth slightly more than M40 million (Maloti), form part of the advance infrastructure works for the multi-billion Maloti, bi-national project of the governments of Lesotho and South Africa.

The awards are a contract for the design and supervision of the construction of the Polihali North East access road, a contract for the supervision of geotechnical investigations for the Polihali dam and the Polihali-Katse water transfer tunnel, and a contract for the demarcation of the Polihali reservoir. Work on the three contracts will commence shortly.

The Polihali North East access road contract

Contract 3014, the Polihali North East access road contract is for the upgrade of the existing road to a standard appropriate to provide a gravel road and suitable to facilitate the safe movement of construction vehicles during the mobilisation of machinery and facilities for other advance infrastructure contractors (mainly the housing contractor(s)) who will require unhindered access to the Polihali dam site.

The SMEC-FMA Joint Venture, a joint venture between Bloemfontein office of the international engineering consultancy, SMEC, and Lesotho-based civil and structural engineers, FM Associates, is the appointed consultant.

Geotechnical investigations

Jeffares and Green in association with GWC Consulting Engineers have been appointed to undertake the supervision of the geotechnical investigations for the Polihali dam and the Polihali-Katse water transfer tunnel- Contract 3015.

The geotechnical investigations will involve extraction of rock and soil for testing purposes in order to provide comprehensive data to the dam and tunnel design consultants.

The investigations and will also identify the suitability, quality and quantity of construction material found at all investigated quarries.

Reservoir demarcation

The demarcation of the Polihali Reservoir contract, Contract 3017, was won by a Maseru-based company, the Maleka, Ntshihlele, Putsoa Joint Venture.

Reservoir demarcation entails surveying and constructing beacons around the perimeter of the Polihali reservoir at a level five metres higher than the full supply level.

Reservoir demarcation is critical for the acquisition of land, the resettlement and compensation of people in the district whose homes and livelihoods will be affected by the construction of the dam. It is also essential for the planning of the Phase II activities.

The procurement of consultants for the design of the Phase II advance infrastructure works which comprises roads, camps, reservoir demarcation, geotechnical studies, power lines and telecommunication systems, is currently in progress and will continue for the remainder of the year.

The implementation of environmental and social mitigation measures will commence shortly in advance of the main access roads, the dam and tunnel contracts.