Government is spending in excess of $1M to conceal pipelines that were exposed in Region Eight as a result of the actions of miners so that the flow of traffic on the Salbora Road, Mahdia, could see a major improvement.
With the completion of this road, economic activities in and around Mahdia will move ahead as travel will be made easier, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release.
And remedial works on the road began last Wednesday by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and works are ongoing. This project adds to the ongoing road works initiated by the government and is part of the 2009 work programme.
The issue of mining on the Salbora road first surfaced in 2007 and legal actions were taken against several miners. During the process pipelines were damaged and water supply in the upper Mahdia area was disrupted.
Government, the release said, has since spent millions of dollars to repair the ruptured Salbora water system to provide the residents of Mahdia, Monkey Mountain, Campbell Town and surrounding communities with an improved and continuous water supply.
Again in 2008 small miners caused damage to the road and exposed the pipelines in the process and Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn intervened and miners were urged to desist from this activity.
This year Government has allocated more than $7B for infrastructural projects to be executed by the Public Works Ministry.
Currently the Ministry is rehabilitating the Linden-Lethem road while another phase of the rehabilitation and maintenance for this month comprises works on roads in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the release added.
