The Mopani Water Intervention Project is expected to be completed in June 2017, the Department of Water and Sanitation said on Sunday.

The project is underway in Mopani District Municipality in Limpopo.

“Some residents in Giyani are already receiving water as a result of the development of this project. The augmentation of the 16 villages that were declared priority areas has brought much needed relief, especially with regard to women safety around the area, as the long distances they walked to fetch water made them vulnerable and targets of vicious crimes such as rape,” said the department.

The project has seen massive progress since Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane issued a directive in 2014 to set up Lepelle Northern Water to fast track water provision to the people of Giyani.

Progress made thus far has been welcomed by the people of Giyani as shown by residents of Ngove village, who said they had never had access to water and relied on river water for over 20 years.

Welcomed progress

Nina Masia, a resident of Ngove, said the intervention by the  means an end to countless two-hour trips each way to the river with a baby on her back.

The project consists of the construction of pipelines, refurbishment of boreholes and the upgrade of waste water treatment works to ensure that 55 villages in and around Giyani have access to potable water.

There is also the revitalisation 154 boreholes in progress to ensure security of water supply.