The main water supply to South Africa's economic hub, greater Johannesburg in the Gauteng province, and to the country's breadbasket in the Free State, is scheduled to be cut off for six months. Maintenance work on the 37 kilometre Lesotho Highlands Water Project tunnel is. Ifedotun Victor Aina, a senior researcher at the Water and Production Economics Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, takes a critical look at who could be affected by the shutdown and what might happen.
This maintenance is critical for ensuring the integrity of the tunnel systems. It will allow technicians and engineers to check the tunnel thoroughly, fixing any problems they find, and making detailed reports. They cannot do this when it is full of water. They will repair the steel walls that were found to be incurrent water scarcity
Lastly, agriculture depends heavily on consistent and reliable water sources for irrigation, livestock watering and other farming activities. The shutdown may result in reduced agricultural productivity, crop failure, and financial losses for farmers who rely on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. This could affect food security, livelihoods, and the overall economy of affected areas.
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