I was not particularly flattered or impressed to receive a recorded telephone call from the leader of the DA, Mmusi Maimane, telling me his party was taking over the management of Cape Town’s water crisis.
I did not think for one moment: “gosh, I am honoured to receive a personal call from a great leader”.
Like everybody else who received the recorded message, I just sighed and pressed “delete”.
I do not consider politicians the best people to manage droughts any more than I feel blacksmiths should be made responsible for brain surgery or chiropodists to be the best people to design moon rockets.
Water management should be tackled by engineers, meteorologists, surveyors, plumbers and planners.
When politicians climb on a bandwagon and tell us “their party” is the one that can save us from Day Zero, many of us simply become irritated.
It’s such blatant point-scoring I wonder whether anybody is stupid enough to fall for it.
All it does is make ordinary people hate politicians.

Parliament has summoned the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation and the management of the Ghana Water Company over the ongoing water rationing.
The Ghana Water Company have cited the dry season and the pollution of the country’s water bodies as the cause of the water shortages.
According to the Communications Director of Ghana Water Company Stanley Martey, the official timetable will soon be provided to guide consumers as to when the tap for each area will be opened or closed.
Stanley Martey added that the country may need to pray for rain because until that happens, the shortage will not change.
However, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee Samson Ahi has said more accurate response is required from the Ghana Water Company and as such the committee has invited the management of Ghana Water Company to appear and submit further details on the development to the Works and Housing Committee on Tuesday, February 6, 2018.
“We have invited the Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation as well as the management of Ghana Water Company to come and brief us on the water situation in the country and also to tell us plans they are putting in place to address the problem.” Samson Ahi said.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Expert, Dr Osman Alhassan, says the threat of water scarcity, due to climate change and the pollution of water bodies, calls for a water harvesting culture.
“We need to do a lot concerning water harvesting and I think it was about time we made efforts to separate water use categories where for example we can begin with good water harvesting at the community level and district level and we could use that water for other things than household and drinking,” he said.
Commenting on the Ghana Water Company’s plan to soon begin rationing water supply due to the dry season, Dr Alhassan said although some homes already harvest water, there was a need to for national approach, complemented by modern technology and by-laws.
Primenewsghana.com/Ghana News

(MENAFN – Pajhwok Afghan News) MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Farmers in northern Balkh province are concerned at inadequate snowfall this year, fearing that continued drought will damage their crops.
In most parts of northern Afghanistan, including Balkh, the time for crop cultivation on rain-fed land is over, they say.
Haji Abdul Qayyum, a farmer from the Chamtal district, told Pajhwok Afghan News Balkh always faced a shortage of water.
Both rain-fed and irrigated lands in the province need rains and snowfall.
€œNo, it was not enough this time around.
In the past, it would snow every winter four or five times.
Mohammad Anwar, hailing from Char-Bulak district, said the time for wheat cultivation on rain-fed land was over.
€œWheat on rain-fed farms should have been cultivated earlier.
When the weather gets hotter, plants should have grown up,€ he said, adding farmers were worried about a decline in yield.
More rains and snowfall would prepare the ground for spring crops, the official thought, saying Balkh needed 400 cubic metres of water per second.

Cape Town – This is not the first time Cape Town has faced a severe water shortage and has put extreme measures in place to stretch its water supply.
The Weekend Argus visited five dams built in the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as the the Waterworks Museum on Table Mountain, this week.
These dams were built to provide water to the various areas to the city.
Arne Singel, a former manager of the bulk water branch of the City of Cape Town bulk, accompanied the Weekend Argus and provided information about the reasons for construction of the various dams.
The Woodhead and the Hely Hutchinson dams were built by the then Corporation of the City of Cape Town and the Victoria, Alexandra and De Villiers dams were built by the then Wynberg municipality.
The Alexandra dam was built first and completed in 1893 and lifted further in 1902.
The Victoria dam was completed in 1896, and the Woodhead in 1897, followed by the Hely Hutchinson in 1904 and the De Villiers in 1910.
All five dams still form part of the city’s drinking water supply, said Ian Neilson, Cape Town deputy mayor.
The Woodhead and Hely Hutchinson dams can provide water to Camps Bay and the high-lying areas of the City Bowl, while the Victoria, Alexandra and De Villiers dams are closer to the Constantia Nek side of the mountain and can supply water to parts of the southern suburbs, and Hout Bay, said Neilson.
“The mayor also mentioned the construction would solve Cape Town’s water problem for years to come.” An aerial cable was erected to assist its construction.

As the conflict continues to claim victims on both sides, it’s important to point out that when President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt, was looking for an early success in the new administration’s peace efforts, he found it – in water.
For Palestinian communities that suffer water shortages and require Israeli approval to increase pumping of shared natural water resources, an agreement to increase water sales from Israel to the Palestinian Authority by 50 percent annually will dramatically improve lives and livelihoods without creating water shortages on the Israeli side.
For example, the draft Taylor Force Act, which prohibits American aid to the West Bank and Gaza, does not exempt water programs.
How might cuts to U.N.
The United States clearly recognizes the importance of international water security, having recently released its Global Water Strategy, which coordinates the work of 16 U.S. government agencies and private partners.
For the Palestinian government, the priority is to increase water provision to meet basic needs, supporting economic growth as well as its aspirations for a state with the right to access and develop its own resources.
Today 70 percent of Israel’s drinking water is produced through desalinization and 85 percent of its wastewater is treated and reused to meet agricultural needs.
A logical next step, beyond water sales, would be to negotiate a fair allocation of the natural water resources that Israelis and Palestinians share, thus solving one of the core issues plaguing the peace process.
However, both sides have shortsightedly refused to negotiate over natural water reallocation, wanting any water deal to remain part of a negotiation on other final-status issues, like borders and refugees.
Israeli politicians insist that a better water deal for the Palestinians must be matched by Palestinian compromises on refugees.

The climate change, land degradation, water scarcity and genetic erosion are the biggest threats to the agriculture sector in Pakistan in general and in Sindh particular HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 02nd Feb, 2018 ):The climate change, land degradation, water scarcity and genetic erosion are the biggest threats to the agriculture sector in Pakistan in general and in Sindh particular.
This was stated by Hadi Bux Laghari, a Farm Consultant while delivering a lecture at graduate seminar on voices from the field: Climate Change Adoption in local farmers in Sindh, held on Friday at U. S.-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro.
He said in recent past, the greed of maximum yields attracted the farmers to use the imported seed which did not only consume more water and pesticides but cause the genetic erosion of the soil and land degradation.
Consumption of open-cross pollination and hybrid seed production cause various diseases in the consequences of the maximum use of pesticides and fertilizers, he added.
He was of the view that the use of native seed, though has limited productivity as compared to its imported counterpart, was more beneficial in the long run not only for the health of human but also the health of the soil.
He maintained that there is a huge gap exists among the farmer community, government, academia, industry, research organizations, water and agriculture service providers in the country.
He emphasized on the integrated efforts to adopt the climate changes very efficiently and effectively in the best interests of the economy of the country and prosperity of the people.
The speaker also shared his field work for different horticulture projects including mangoes and bananas, in which he worked as a technical manager.
Among others, the Deputy Director (Academics and Research) of USPCAS-W Mehran University Prof. Dr. Rasool Bux Mahar and Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator Muhammad Ali Nizamani also addressed the participants of the seminar.

Water Resources Expert, Dr Osman Alhassan, says the threat of water scarcity, due to climate change and the pollution water bodies, calls for a water harvesting culture.
“We need to do a lot concerning water harvesting and I think it was about time we made efforts to separate water use categories where for example we can begin with good water harvesting at the community level and district level and we could use that water for other things than household and drinking,” he said.
Communications Director of the Ghana Water Company, Stanley Mantey, recently said the rate of evaporation of water bodies across the country has become alarming and unless there is rain, there will be severe consequences for some communities.
He blames bad farming practices, illegal felling of trees and galamsey activities for the shrinking fresh water sources.
“It will be important to begin [water harvesting mechanisms] with institutional setups where it is easy to construct and then be able to replicate in other areas,” he said on current affairs programme, PM Express on the Joy News channel on MultiTV.
He suggests by-laws to force new homeowners to construct reservoirs that can hold a specified volume of rainwater, for instance.
Ghana’s National Water Policy is underpinned by the principles enunciated in the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the “Africa Water Vision” of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
The policy document, which is gathering dust on the shelves of the Water Resouces Ministry, contains sections on integrated water resources management — including water for energy, food security and transportation), urban and community/small town water delivery.
The Policy also highlights the international legal framework for the domestic and trans-boundary utilisation of water resources.
Although Mr Martey, who was also on Thursday’s PM Express, revealed that the Ghana Water Company regularly dredges key freshwater sources, Dr Alhassan wants more investment in freeing choked rivers.

Water Resources Expert, Dr Osman Alhassan, says the threat of water scarcity, due to climate change and the pollution water bodies, calls for a water harvesting culture. “We need to do a lot concerning water harvesting and I think it was about time we made efforts to separate water use categories where for example we can begin with good water harvesting at the community level and district level and we could use that water for other things than household and drinking,” he said. Commenting on the Ghana Water Company’s plan to soon begin rationing water supply due to the dry season, Dr Alhassan said although some homes already harvest water, there was a need to for national approach, complemented by modern technology and by-laws. Communications Director of the Ghana Water Company, Stanley Mantey, recently said the rate of evaporation of water…

The amended City of Cape Town Water By-law went for a first public comment period in 2016.
The City thanked those members of the public who have familiarized themselves with the proposed amendments and engaged constructively with the content from an informed position.
These changes have not been proposed as a means to control or restrict what residents are doing to save water, but rather to put measures in place that support these interventions in a manner that protects public health, ensuring we are a more water efficient society going forward and that our built environment supports our broader efforts to live more sustainably.
The points below provide clarity on some of the popular misinterpretations of the content of the Water By-law: ‘The By-law will force you to have plans for your Jojo tanks’ Where households have Jojo or any other kind of rainwater tank installed and are only using it for irrigation or outdoor use, then no approval or notification is necessary.
If rainwater, or any other form of alternative water is being plumbed into the building and there is a chance of it connecting with the municipal drinking water supply, then this needs to be approved by the City.
Plans for alternative water systems should be submitted to the City as part of the building plans, as per the normal process.
The existing Water By-law has always required notification for retrofits of geysers and associated protective devices.
‘I will be forced to use a plumber registered with the City of Cape Town’ Residents are not forced to use a plumber who is registered with the City for general plumbing.
Replacement of existing meters forms part of the City’s meter replacement programme and is paid for by the City.
Only in cases where a WMD is installed in an effort to restrict excessive water use to non-indigent customers, or when one has been specifically requested by a resident whose existing meter is in good working order, will the property owner be required to cover the cost of the meter and its installation.

Cape Town – At midnight on Wednesday, 31 January 2018, the extended comment window for the Water Amendment By-law was closed, with approximately 38 000 comments received from the public. The submissions will now be reviewed for constructive inputs, which will be considered for adjustments to the proposed By-law amendments. This process is expected to last approximately two months. The public will be kept informed of developments in this regard. The amended City of Cape Town Water By-law went for a first public comment period in 2016. However, due to Cape Town experiencing the worst drought in recorded history, and the City’s emphasis on proactive governance to better address water scarcity, it required further refinement. This updated version was drafted last year (2017) and advertised for public comment in early December. The amended By-law was open for public comment for more than a month which is beyond the statutory comment period requirements. The City thanked those members of the public who have familiarized themselves with the proposed amendments and engaged constructively with the content from an informed position. Given that there has been a fair amount of misinformation being shared among residents on various social media platforms, the City would like to remind the public that the proposed amendments are necessary to reflect and support the needs of the New Normal in which we find ourselves. These changes have not been proposed as a means to control or restrict what residents are doing to save water, but rather to put measures in place that support these interventions in a manner that protects public health, ensuring we are a more water efficient society going forward and that our built environment supports our broader efforts to live more sustainably. The points below provide clarity on some of the popular misinterpretations of the content of the Water By-law: ‘The By-law will force you to have plans for your Jojo tanks’ Where households have Jojo or any other kind of rainwater tank installed and are only using…