Concern over Plan to Shed 10 of 19 Water Management Agencies

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BYLINE: CRAIG McKUNE

THE government's struggle to effectively manage the country's water supply and quality has again been flagged with concerns over its plan to water down a comprehensive management strategy.

Nineteen catchment management agencies (CMAs), intended to better protect, use, develop, conserve, manage and control water resources, could be reduced to nine, according to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.

In the Western Cape, where there are currently four water management areas (WMAs), the Olifants-Doring area would then fall under the same management as the Berg WMA, and the Breede-Overberg area would combine with the Gouritz.