Blue Jacket Street and Interchange grounds to get facelift
The City of Francistown Council (FCC)’s resolve to rehabilitate the dying Tati River is well under away.
The project, which started on May, 6, has already covered 3km of the targeted 6km.
This was revealed by the City Mayor Godisang Radisigo at the last Full Council Session on Monday.
Radisigo said the National Environmental Fund (NEF) has disbursed a total of P997 953.63 for the implementation of the rehabilitation project.
He said numerous stakeholders inclusive of Water Utilities Corporation (WUC), Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) as well as the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) have partnered in the project.
Updating council, Radisigo said the intention is to rehabilitate as well as control the growth of reeds within the Tati River and its tributary, Ntshe River systems.
He said they intend to remove some waste within the river and construct gabions within the severely degraded portions of the river to allow accumulation of sand.
Studies have shown that besides the damaged natural beauty of the river, its sand supply has been depleted which has impacted the ecosystem’s sustainability.
The Tati River rehabilitation project was funded to a tune of P1.4 million by the NEF which was established to promote and provide financial support for projects focused on conservation of the environment.
Radisigo further explained that 40 people were engaged for an initial three months period in a project expected to be completed in December.
“The weeds from the river is added value and will be packaged into animal feed as a response to government’s value chain development call,” said Radisigo.
The Mayor further noted that Phase two of the project that stretches from Oriental Plaza to Bluetown/Monarch is also underway.
In addition, an amount of P659 223.77 has been availed under the same fund for landscaping of the Blue Jacket Street.
It entails planting of trees from the BMC traffic lights to Dumela and hard landscaping of the interchange grounds.
