Bulawayo water crisis: Government avails additional US$1,5m

GOVERNMENT has availed an additional US$1,5 million towards addressing Bulawayo’s perennial water challenges as the city’s water supplies continue to dwindle to critical levels.

Earlier this year the Treasury allocated US$1 million towards the rehabilitation of water infrastructure at Inyankuni and Umzingwane water stations.

The revamping of the water pumps is critical towards easing Bulawayo’s water challenges, which have seen some suburbs going for weeks without water while the weekly schedule is always disrupted by power cuts, forcing residents to rely on boreholes and unsafe water sources.

Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, also reiterated the importance of the installation of two new pumps and refurbishment of two others at Umzingwane pump station while two new pumps were also installed at Inyakuni with other refurbishment works expected to be completed by the end of November.

“An additional US$1,5 million has been availed to the City of Bulawayo targeting the renewal of water mains, replacement of valves and meters to reduce the non-revenue water and increase water supply to residents,” said Prof Ncube.

However, Bulawayo Mayor, Councillor David Coltart, said he was not aware of the latest allocation.

“In April this year, we got the equivalent of ZWG1 million towards water infrastructure. We are not aware of anything as of April. I will, however, have to check on that,” said Clr Coltart.

He said the water situation is getting worse and residents are being forced to seek alternatives and unsafe water sources.

“It is getting worse by the day. We are currently receiving rains that are wonderful but the rains are all going to our sewers,” said Clr Coltart.

The city has been drawing water from the rehabilitated boreholes at the Nyamandlovu Aquifer, a huge boost to supplies as major dams have received insignificant inflows due to drought.

Since the start of the year, several suburbs have endured prolonged periods of water cuts, some exceeding a week, with the situation deteriorating further in recent weeks leading to the council failing to maintain the water shedding schedule.

The funds from the Government will also be channelled towards beefing up security at major dams and pipelines where vandalism is rampant.

Prof Ncube said the Government has already set up a committee through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, which is being spearheaded by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, working in partnership with BCC.

He said the funds will also be channelled towards the rehabilitation of dams surrounding the city to ensure efficiency and water reticulation to the city’s reservoirs and the Nyamandlovu Aquifer.

Council has already decommissioned Umzingwane Dam, as the city is grappling with a worsening water crisis amid concerns about the havoc caused by gold panners mainly on the Umzingwane River catchment.

Bulawayo is faced with one of its worst water crises in recent years due to the El Nino-induced drought, which saw low rainfall across the country resulting in considerably low inflows into the city’s six supply dams.