adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
AN exercise to drill about 300 boreholes for more than 3,000 families displaced by flooding in the Tokwe Murkosi Dam basin in Chivi, Masvingo is under way with local non-governmental organisations financing the programme. The affected families were evacuated to Chingwizi holding camp in Mwenezi district after heavy downpours destroyed their homes and damaged property in February and March.
Masvingo-based Batanai HIV and Aids Service Organisation (BHASO) in conjunction with Oxfam has pledged to drill the boreholes in an effort to address sanitation problems.
The government has since moved with haste and allocated permanent stands for the affected families, about three kilometres North of Chingwizi holding camp.
BHASO director Farai Mahaso said his organisation resolved to chip in by providing clean water to the affected families to promote good health and curb an outbreak of diseases.
“We visited the families at their holding camp and identified a need for clean water. We partnered with Oxfam and managed to procure pipes, which we used to draw water. We have erected an 18,000 litre steel water tank where the water is purified before being used by the families at the camp,” he told Chronicle.
“After realising that the government will move all families to a permanent site, we knew that the need for safe water was key and came up with a project to drill 300 boreholes.”
Mahaso said the boreholes would be enough to cater for the families at their permanent sites and reduce the burden of walking long distances to fetch water.
“We are only complementing government efforts in addressing water and sanitation for the families. We have also planned to build them toilets but are waiting for a few modalities before we start the project,” he said.
Meanwhile, the affected families are demanding that government increases the portion of land allocated to each family from one hectare per family to four hectares arguing that the pieces of land apportioned to them are too small.
The families say government initially promised four hectares per family.
Online Reporter