What if…? Just imagine
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Mothusi Soloko
Location : Gaborone
Event : Feature article
Mothusi Soloko recently visited Gaborone and Bokaa dams to get first-hand information given the situation of water in Gaborone. Below he indulges his mind to take him to a dry Gaborone City and imagines how the city would look like if it does not rain any time soon.
A dry patch of land stretches as far as the eye can see while rocks and cow dung sit where water used to be. A few cattle, with every bone under their skin almost visible, nimble lazily at the dry grass while birds dip their beaks into small pools of what is left of the Gaborone Dam. This is scary but a true picture of what is likely to become of Gaborone Dam if it does not rain any time soon.
In fact there is no need to imagine because the sad scenario is already playing itself out in the dam and slowly threatening to come to our homes. The smell of dry mud and all that used to be buried under water is what welcomes those visiting the dam.
Information from Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) indicates that only a few months, less than eight to quote them, remain before the dam completely dries up. What would be the likely scenario in the city should this come to pass? What would you do if the dam dried up? Imagine coming from work thirsty only to find the taps dry!
No cup of coffee, no glass of water. A stench from the bathroom enough to injure our nostrils would force us out of our homes. There will be no water not even a drop left there.
Then all animals and birds will migrate to sewage pond for drinking water. Finally the stench from the drying ponds with flies sniffing at our nostrils will cover the whole city forcing others to migrate to their home villages. There is no way we can avoid the council truck moving from house to house dropping and picking up bucket toilets.
“It`s going to be messy affair, I can imagine vans travelling outside town to fetch water from the neighbouring villages,” says one Keamoroma Marumo of Phase Two. “The rich will prey on the poor. Imagine a bouser truck in one of the locations selling water,” she continues. Imagine what will happen to the fishermen selling fish at Old Naledi.
Should the dam dry up they will be no fish hanging from the tree branches. ‘`We support our families with the money we get from selling fish, if the dam were to dry up, there will be nothing for us. We will just come here to play Morabaraba,” fisherman Ofentse Matladi says.
Imagine the stench in public transport and offices. Many people will not take a bath before they go to work. “I can imagine primary school children going to school with ghost like faces,” says Portia Kalane in Gaborone west. The tea that public servant love so much will only be reserved for the privileged few. In fact a lot of offices will either shut down or open just half day.
None wants to imagine what will happen at Princess Marina hospital. Imagine toilets and bathrooms without water. The situation will obviously be catastrophic. “Many patients will die and diseases will even multiply inside the hospitals, it will be bad!” says nurse Timothy Selala. How will life be like if Botswana went dry! Just Imagine.
