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N. Cape drought tough on residents

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The Karee Dam at Calvinia in the Northern Cape is empty once again. It is the second time in a year that the dam supplying water to the Hantam municipal area has run dry.

The drought has been around for so long, it has become part of life for residents of Calvinia.

“We can’t water our gardens. We can only use it for ourselves to drink and do laundry,” said resident Jakobus Saal.

“They must look out for new boreholes so that that can be our sources. At this stage, the drought is killing us,” added another resident, Christopher Klaaste.

Six boreholes supply the town with much-needed water and one has already run dry.

The municipality is sinking another two but that too will not last forever.

“We are busy with plans and we’ve identified stakeholders with which we can engage to ensure we can get water from the river to our catchment area,”  said Jan Swartz of Hantam Municipality.

Residents have been praised for adhering to the strict water restrictions. At Some point, the Karee Dam was at 16% when rain and snow fell during the winter.

Residents are hoping that mother nature will soon join the party and they’ will once again see the One million litre capacity dam full again.

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