The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) will launch its Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) at Ha Bereng, Leribe on Wednesday this week.
The highlight of this event will be the much-anticipated naming of the TBM, following a competition which saw enthusiastic participation from Basotho across the country.
The naming of the TBM and the start of tunnelling represent critical advancements in the implementation of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP II).
In a press statement, LHDA chief executive Tente Tente says the year 2024 saw remarkable progress in the construction of the transfer tunnel, including the successful connection of the upper and lower intake tunnels and the initiation of Polihali’s gate shaft excavation.
“These developments are vital for channelling water from the expansive Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir, enhancing the region’s water supply.
“The year 2024 marked significant milestones in the construction of the Transfer Tunnel. Key achievements included the successful breakthrough of the upper intake
tunnel into the lower intake tunnel on August 19 2024, after seven months of tunnelling, and the commencement of Polihali’s gate shaft excavation using the raise boring method on August 26 2024.
“The intake tunnels will allow water from the 5,042-hectare Polihali reservoir to enter the transfer tunnel for delivery to the Katse reservoir, the centre point of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project,” Tente noted.
