Employees of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) Polihali Branch marked the LHDA Day by conducting a cleaning campaign on the main street of Mokhotlong town on Tuesday.

Before the cleaning campaign, the employees and some of the Public Servants from government departments assembled at the District Administrator’s Office ground where they were briefed about the meaning of the LHDA Day.

Public Relations Officer Polihali Branch, Mrs. Ntoetsi Lerotholi explained that October 24 marked the day on which Lesotho and South Africa signed the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Treaty 37 years ago.

Mrs. Lerotholi said the cleaning campaign is intended to keep the environment clean at all times particularly now that LHDA is in the process of implementing the LHWP II through the construction of the Polihali Dam in Mokhotlong, adding that the water to be filled in that dam should be clean.

Reflecting on the Treaty, she said it was intended for the construction of dams in Lesotho and the transfer of water from Lesotho to South Africa

Since the signing of the Treaty in 1986, the construction of dams namely Katse, Mohale and Muela has been completed successfully. Besides the dams, roads have been constructed while jobs for Basotho were also created.

Currently, LHDA is implementing the LHWP II which entails major works that include construction of the Polihali Dam, Transfer Tunnel and the Senqu Bridge in the Mokhotlong district.

Construction of the dam was officiated earlier this year and is expected to be completed in 2028.

Source: LENA 24/10/2023