Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has directed the South African delegation in the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission, along with the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), to reinforce stringent monitoring following the suspension of the contractor responsible for the Polihali transfer tunnel construction.

The Polihali transfer tunnel is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II currently under construction in Lesotho.

The South Africa delegation assured that the suspension would not impact on the completion date of the tunnel project as it was ahead of schedule, and that work continued in unaffected work zones, namely the Polihali and Katse project zones, to minimise broader project delays.

The contractor, Kopano Ke Matla (KKM), was suspended on site by implementing agent the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) after several warnings on non-compliance were issued for allegedly polluting water courses with raw effluent.

“The LHDA, through its engineer, has issued a targeted suspension of works to the Polihali transfer tunnel contractor, KKM, owing to non-compliance with contractual environmental obligations, specifically regarding wastewater management,” the DWS said in a statement on Thursday.

“The suspension was prompted by persistent failures to meet treatment standards across multiple sites, despite prior warnings and formal non-conformance reports emanating from concerns on the inadequate management and treatment of wastewater and effluent generated during tunnel construction activities.”

The measure, which does not constitute a project-wide shutdown, was implemented to ensure environmental, health and safety standards on the critical water infrastructure project.

The contractor sent about 1 300 workers home during the suspension as a protective measure, designed to prevent risks that could endanger the workers and the environment in which they operate.

The contractor was issued with a compliance deadline of May 26 to provide a remedial plan and a compliance roadmap with clear and measurable milestones and interim controls to address the deficiencies in wastewater treatment works.

The LHDA continues to ensure that interim containment and treatment measures are in place to avoid further environmental risk while the main upgrades are pursued.